Can I be my true self?
by Kiragirl17
Summary: FemNaruto returns from a mission to find that Sasuke has returned. A new enemy has plans for Naruto.Revenge on her father.She has to find who it's who wants her dead, but what happens when more then one person competes for her Heart? Better then it sounds
1. True self

Can I be my true self?

I do not own Naruto, and we all know who does, so i will not say who...Okay, I will Masashi Kishimoto.

This is going to be Sasuke and Naruto pairing, but i am putting hints of other coupling in there.

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Chapter One.

True self

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A blonde kunoichi ANBU BLACK Ops sat on Yondaime Hokage's stone head, over looking Konoha. The Fire Fox, code name for the kunoichi, let out a sigh as she stood up from the cold ground below her. Even if her smile was hidden behind her fox mask, anyone could tell that she was beaming. The bright sun brought out the best in her. She spun in the golden rays as her shoulder length blonde hair shined in the sun light. She looked like a fallen angel from heaven as she danced in the warm sun. Her blonde hair spun around her while her ANBU BLACK Ops uniform fit perfectly to her body. She looked happy.

"Naruto," said an equable male voice.

The eighteen year old Naruto knew for five years now that she was indeed a girl. She found out, when the henge, that the Third cast on her, disappeared when he died. It took her sometime to get use to the idea that he was really a she, but Jiraiya, one of the few who knew, helped her through it explaining why. The third as well as Jiraiya thought she would be safer as a boy.

Ero-sennin and Naruto were the only ones to know until the Valley of the End. After Sasuke left the male Naruto unconscious, Kakashi found the female Naruto. Kakashi was shocked as hell, but he knew she was the same loud, hyperactive, adolescent ninja that he knew and cared for. At the hospital before anyone could see the true Naruto, Jiraiya placed another henge on her to protect her secret. Tsunade, the next keeper of the secret, found out after Naruto used the Rasengan on Kabuto. Naruto turned back to her normal self as she passed out on the hard ground.

She wasn't doing a great job in keeping her secret, now was she? Naruto used the henge for the next five years. She only recently stopped using the henge, and of course the whole town was shocked.

"Hai, Sai," Naruto responded to the Anbu.

"Hokage has requested us," Oil Eagle, Sai's code name, answered.

"What does obaa-chan want?"

"A mission, I believe…… You shouldn't call her that."

"I can if I want. Let's go see her," she muttered.

"I will meet you there. I have to go get Sakura," Sai said as he disappeared.

The kunoichi turned her back on the spot where Oil Eagle disappeared from. Naruto jumped to the Hokage tower and entered through the open window. The fifth Hokage didn't look up to the female Anbu entering into the room. "I have a mission for you, Fire Fox, but we will wait for Oil Eagle and Pink Slug."

"Hai, obaa-chan."

"Gaki, stop calling me that!" She pounded her fists on the table….. "There you two are," she said as the two ANBU entered the room through the door. Naruto stood in the middle of Sakura and Sai. "I have an important scroll that must be hand delivered to the Suna."

"To Gaara?" asked the Pink Slug.

"Hai," the Hokage answered. "This scroll has very secret information that cannot fall into the wrong hands." The three ANBU remained quiet, and Tsunade started again. "Get this mission done as fast as you three can. You are leaving as soon as possible. Understand? It's very important that you do so."

"Hai!" The three ANBU disappeared, leaving the Godaime Hokage to her paper work, who wasn't very happy with the amount she had. She picked up her drink and made it disappear in the matter of seconds.

"I wonder how the council and Naruto will react to who her father really is," she wonder, causing her to have a nasty thought. "This is going to get me more evil paper work, isn't it?"

* * *

Sakura was the first one to arrive at the village's gates with her supplies. Naruto and Sakura had gotten closer since she found out that Naruto was a girl. Sakura still found it hard to believe that Naruto was a girl, sometimes. _I do wonder how Sasuke is going to react to Naruto being a girl. That is if he ever comes back._

As her mind pondered that, Naruto and Sai showed up. Naruto, being the leader, started to make a speech. It was hard to believe that the loud, hyperactive kunoichi was a captain of a squad, but Naruto was more mature when she was on a mission. "Let's get this done as soon as possible! That won't be a problem since we are the best ANBU Team in Konoha!" The other two Ninjas nodded. "We are Team Fox." With that they took off.

Sai paid close attention to the blonde as if to lose her would mean death. Sai had a strong bond with Naruto even with their problems with each other.

Sai was the silent one, but he did talk, when people talked to him first. Sakura on the other hand talked a lot, but it was always something that was needed to be said any ways. "Naruto."

The blonde with the scroll tied close against her body never looked back to answer the Pink Slug. "Hai, Sakura."

The area around them was nothing more than blurs as they passed. "Does Gaara and his family know that you're a girl?"

"No, why?"

"Naruto, think about it."

Naruto being Naruto didn't understand what she meant by that, and by her silence, Sai and Sakura knew she was clueless. "Sakura means that Gaara won't be expecting a female Naruto, which could cause problems."

"Oh," Naruto said finally seeing Sakura's point.

Sakura, jumping pass Oil Eagle, went to Naruto's side. Naruto thought Sakura wanted to tell her something, but instead Sakura slapped the back of Naruto's head. "Is that all you can say?" Sakura asked rather loudly.

Sai jumped to the other side of Naruto. "It's Naruto, remember?" Sakura and Sai didn't normally agree, but Sakura couldn't help but agree as she chuckled her answer.

"Oh, thanks guys!" Naruto whined. "And you're supposedly my friends!" Sakura and Sai could only laugh harder, but their masks hid their faces.

* * *

Sasuke, facing Konoha, stood on the outside wall, but his eyes were set on the Hokage's Tower. It had been three long years since he killed Itachi, but Sasuke wasn't ready until now to come back to the village. He knew he would have to accept whatever punishment came his way, but he wasn't going to let his fear get the best of him. He was an Uchiha and they had pride.

He wanted to see his friends (they weren't really his friends) and to fulfill the second part of his dreams. He wanted to revive his clan, but that involved finding a wife. He found all women annoying, and his brain hurt when he thought about it. At times, he would rather let the Uchiha clan die than marry a fan girl, and God, he had a lot of annoying fan girls. At times, Sasuke thought about turning gay. How simpler life would be! _I wonder how the dobe is doing. He has to be doing something stupid._

The raven looked attractive even though he was wearing the same clothes for the past three years now. His onyx eyes never left the tower as he hurried to it._ I wonder what the Hokage will do to me._ As he walked up the steps in the tower, he felt many eyes watching him and he hated it, but since he was a missing-ninja, he couldn't complain. His pale hands reached the frigid door and pushed it opened revealing the room to him. Bronze eyes looked up from the desk. "What do you want?" She glared at him. Her killing intent could have killed him alone.

"I want to come back to the village."

"Why would you come back after all these years?" she asked.

"I killed Itachi."

"You did that three, almost four, years ago. Why now?" asked the Hokage.

"I had so many things to think about, and until I knew the answers, I couldn't come back." Sasuke hoped this would be enough to convince Tsunade that he was sincere.

Godaime looked at the man, who hurt her only 'family' she had. Tsunade wanted to kill this man. Naruto had waited years for Sasuke to come back.

Sasuke must had seen the killer intent in her eyes, because he backed up. He never looked away, however. "I will prove it to you. Just tell me how." He wanted to be in this village, but he was not going to beg. He had too much pride for that. All Uchihas had too much pride!

"I will talk to the council and see what they think, but for right now, I will have Anbu watching you at all times." Godaime stood from her desk. She was going to speak to the council about Naruto's parents anyway, so she would just add Sasuke to the schedule. She mobilized an Anbu Squad. "You are to watch Sasuke Uchiha at all times and if, he does something irregular, kill him." They nodded and disappeared, but they weren't gone.

Tsunade and Sasuke exited the hokage's office as he asked. "Where is the dobe, and the rest of his team?"

"His team?… You mean Naruto?" She asked_. Does he know that Naruto is a girl? He doesn't know, and I'm not going to tell him. He will just had to sweat it out._

"Hai, Naruto's team."

"Sai, Sakura, and Naruto are on a very important mission. They should be back in a couple of days." Godaime couldn't wait until their mission was finished, so she could see the look on Sasuke's face. His face would be priceless, when he comes face to face with a female Naruto. "Kakashi's still here, if you want to see him." She smirked at him, leaving him in the hallway.

Sasuke was getting the feeling he was missing something. He didn't savor the feeling.

* * *

"Stop laughing at me!" Naruto hollered, when she handed the scroll over to Gaara. The Kazekage, Temari, and Kankuro found Naruto being a girl hard to take in. Sai, Sakura, Temari, and Gaara were laughing their heads off, when Kankuro started to circle the miserable blonde. "I know it's hard to believe that I'm a girl, but do you have to do that?"

"Did anyone ever tell you that you are one hot babe?" asked the puppet man. Lets just say, he found himself face down on the ground in a matter of seconds The three kunoichi all had the same idea knocking him into the frigid ground. "Why did you, three, do that for?"

"You know why, pervert!" Naruto glared at him. He didn't dare look into her cerulean eyes, which he could have, since none of the Konoha Anbu weren't wearing masks. They had to keep their identity secret, but no one was going to see them in the Kazekage's mansion. She turned away from him. "So Gaara and Temari, how are you two?" A grin appeared on her face looking to them.

"Good," Gaara and Temari answered.

"That's good to hear," she answered.

Gaara looked differently at Naruto, which made Sai rather upset, but he was in no way going to show it. He would have to think of something to do to show Gaara that he better not think about Naruto more than a friend. Sai had grown to cherish the hyperactive blonde, since she had restored Sai's forgotten emotions. Designing a plan, Sai wasn't paying attention to the conversation that Gaara, Temari, Sakura, and Naruto were having. (Kankuro was trying not to be hit again.) A plan came to mind. Sai moved to Naruto and whispered into her ear. "Tsunade wants us to get this mission done as soon as possible."

No one else heard it, but it caused the rest of the gang to give Naruto and Sai weird looks. They were reading between the lines, even if there wasn't a hidden message. Naruto being Naruto totally missed it, but Sai knew his plan had worked. Gaara miss read the situation as did everyone else. He was upset, and he glared at Sai; however, Sai just smiled at everyone. "Sakura, Sai, we better get going." Naruto fixed her hair and placed her mask upon her face. Sakura and Sai followed suit.

"Before you go, take this to the Hokage," The Kazekage said as he handed a scroll to Naruto. She looked over the scroll in her hands and placed it where the other one was before. "This is important, so get it to her as soon as possible."

"Hai," said the three Anbu Black Ops. They took off. Naruto thought she saw sadness in Gaara's eyes, but she just pushed it out of her mind. The area blurred around them as they ran/jumped to Konoha as fast as they could.

Pink Slug decided to talk to the Fire Fox, while the Oil Eagle stood behind them. Naruto didn't look to Sakura, but she did listen to the other girl as she spoke. "Fox, what did Eagle tell you, when he whispered in your ear?"

"He said we better get going, since obaa-chan wanted this mission finish as soon as possible," Naruto responded, being clueless as always. "Why?"

"It looked like something else."

"Like what?"

"It's hard to explain, but it looked rather personal. Gaara looked upset."

Naruto didn't understood. "What do you mean by that?"

"Sai must had planned that move."

"So?" _Why would it matter? We had to get going anyway?_

"Naruto, how dense are you?" Sakura slapped Naruto on the back of the head. "Sai and Gaara like you."

After rubbing her head, Naruto busted out laughing, almost to the point that she couldn't move. "You're joking, right?" asked the blonde.

"No, Baka! I'm not." Sakura yelled. Sai now took notice to the girls, and Sakura didn't want to talk in front of a listening Sai. "We will talk about it later."

.

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Tell me what you think. Good or bad! I like them both. Please and thank you. If you want something to happen, tell me and i will think about it

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6/5/08- i have updated this chapter. Took some of the big words out. Fixed grammar mistakes. Add some words. I hope you like it. This stories gets better, so keep reading!

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8/12/08- I have updated this chapter, since one of the reviewers said I'm 'abusing' Fanfiction's rules, or something like that! If they think i'm abusing the rules, then he should read other stories, which have far worse grammar then i do!!

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8/3/09- updated and fixed. My sister and I have been working hard on fixing these chapters so i hope you like them. I know i do. Thanks for reading and i hope you come back for more.

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	2. Don't reject me

Can I be my true self? A Naruto story.

I do not own Naruto like i said in the first chapter! It doesn't change chapter to chapter!

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Don't reject me

Chapter Two

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A man, with dark cinnamon spiky hair and beige eyes, watched the three Konoha Anbu Black Ops jump pass him. Yuki, a missing ninja, snickered as he was left unnoticed. _What kind of Ninjas are they, if they didn't notice me? _He wasn't even trying to hide. He was out in the open.

The leader, the blonde kunoichi, was called Naruto, which Yuki heard the other Kunoichi say. _Could she be the person that my master is looking for? _The Konoha ninjas disappeared from sight, causing Yuki to be on his way to his malicious master.

* * *

Sasuke opened his door to find his old Sensei leaning against the door frame. He had heard of the raven's return. The silver haired man pushed passed him without saying a word.

"Yo," he finally said, while Sasuke closed the door and faced him. "I see that you have some Anbu watching you. I didn't expect less. How do you feel about that?" Sasuke believed that he didn't need to answer that. "Cat got your tongue?"

"What do you want?" asked the inflamed Sasuke.

"I just wonder if you saw her, yet."

"If you mean Sakura, then no. She's on a mission with Naruto and Sai." Kakashi remained quiet. "I wonder how the guys could work with a kunoichi like Sakura."

"I didn't mean Sakura. It doesn't matter the girl is on a mission, anyway." _Did Lady Tsunade not tell him? He has to know about Naruto, right? _Kakashi let out a groan. "I take it, Lady Tsunade didn't tell you about Naruto then?"

Sasuke was getting that feeling again. The feeling that they were not telling him everything. He hated that feeling. Then again if anything happened to Naruto, Sasuke would never be able to forgive himself. He cared for him for some odd reason. _Did something happen to the dobe? _Sasuke's eyes locked onto Kakashi's eyes, searching for answers about the dobe. "Why is he dead?" He prayed, well on the inside, that his best friend/rival was alive and kicking. Was he turning gay?

"No, Naruto's alive and healthy." The Copy Cat Ninja responded waving his hands in defense. _I have gotten my answer, anyway. Sasuke has no idea that Naruto is a girl. This should be fun._ Kakashi knew longer than most people that Naruto was a girl, but he never let it on that there was anything different about the blonde "I just want to be there, when you see him." or _her, I should say._ "For the first time."

If the dobe was okay, then what was he missing? Sasuke's resentment was on the accession for the Jounin. _What is he not telling me?_ "What am I missing?"

"What do you mean?"

"What is it about Naruto that I don't know?" His Sensei was quiet– too quiet. The raven stared icily at the silver hair man. "And what girl are you talking about?"

A grin materialized on the masked gentleman, which showed through his mask. "You will find out, but not from me."

Sasuke growled from that response. It wasn't what he wanted to hear. This man was making Sasuke very irritable, but most people did that any ways. Sasuke just didn't usually say anything about it. "Why can't you just tell me?" _What is so funny?!_ He yelled in his head.

"It isn't my secret to tell."

"Hn_._" _Then who's is it?_

"What?"

"I want to know."

"It's Naruto's secret to tell. You would have known, if you came back to the village sooner." Kakashi disappeared in the puff of smoke.

"Jackass!" Sasuke was angry, no wait, he was furious. He was going to go straight to Tsunade tomorrow to get some answers. _The dobe can't keep secrets! So what secret is he keeping? _The raven walked slowly to his bedroom and let gravity take over.

His slim muscular body fit perfectly into the large bed, made for two. The question was who would the other person would be! He would have to answer that, but first what was going on with Naruto? It was driving him crazy. How could that loud, hyperactive, unpredictable, senseless ninja make the great Sasuke Uchiha crazy, before ever laying eyes on him. _What power do you have over me, Naruto? _The thought manifested itself into words. "Naruto, what power do you have over me?" Did he like the dobe like that? But Sasuke Uchiha wasn't gay!

* * *

Sai and Sakura were sound asleep, while Naruto took her night watch. She looked up at the starry night sky, as her mind wondered to what Sakura said. _How can anyone like me in that way_? _Come on, just look at me!_ She mentally slapped herself for that. _I am the great Naruto Uzumaki. There is nothing I can't do. Dattebayo_!

Her mind flashed to the only thing she couldn't do. She couldn't bring Sasuke back. _Only God knows where that teme is now! _She sneezed out of the blue. She rubbed her nose as she grinned. _I bet someone is talking about the future Hokage. Dattebayo! _That sneeze somehow changed the blonde's mood to happy-go-lucky again.

The next day came fast as Naruto wanted to get home. She pushed her team hard, not because she wanted to finish the mission, but rather to get some ramen. Oil Eagle and Pink Slug had a hard time keeping up with Fire Fox. They wanted to yell 'slow down, damn it,' but they knew Naruto would never listen to them. The blonde would rather jump head first into missions than plan a sneak act.

The village was coming into sight faster than what they expected. "Come on, slow pokes!" yelled Naruto back.

"Slow down, baka!" The Pink Slug responded.

"That isn't going to stop her," the last member of the team stated.

"I know."

Naruto soon lost the other two teammates as she passed through Konoha's gates. The guards didn't pay attention to the incoming Anbu, since there was only one blonde shinobi like that in the Hidden Leaf Village. The Fire Fox made it to the Hokage Tower in time after jumping from root top to roof top. She rushed into the hokage's office, which caused the Godaime to glare at Naruto from her desk. "Obaa-chan, I'm back!"

"Gaki, shut up, and stop calling me that!" She looked up at the Fire Fox, who was… alone! "Where is the rest of your team?"

"They were too slow and fell behind at the front Gate."

"You aren't suppose to leave your teammates behind, baka!" _How did she ever become a ninja? Let alone an Anbu Black Ops. Captain?_

"I wanted some ramen," Naruto paused as he got Tsunade's death glare. "It's the best thing on the planet." Naruto took a step back from another scowl. "Oh yeah," She remembered as she untied the scroll from her body. "Gaara told me to give this to you."

Godaime took the scroll and looked it over. "Thanks, Gaki." She took the scroll away and locked it in a compartment of her desk. "I have to tell you something."

"What?"

* * *

Sasuke Uchiha walked or rather ran to the Hokage's office. He had to know what Kakashi meant and he had to know what was up with Naruto, who had so much power over Sasuke. He couldn't understand why.

The villagers were glaring at him, but Sasuke wasn't paying any attention to them. Lady Tsunade was more important than the villagers right now. The Hokage's Tower came into his view, and the raven ran rapidly to the building. Upon the many stairs, the raven ran into two Anbu black Ops. Sasuke didn't pay too much attention to them until one of them yelled out his name. "Sasuke?"

He knew this female voice. "Sakura?" W_hy her of all people?_

The pink haired kunoichi jumped into Sasuke's arms. "Sasuke, you are back!"

"Sakura, calm down before you kill him."

Sakura retreated from Sasuke's arms. "Sai, I take it," Sasuke said with a hint of hatred in his voice.

"Hai," The male Anbu responded._If they are here, then the dobe is as wel_

"Who?" asked Sakura.

"Naruto." Sasuke was rather upset. "Why does everyone asked that, when I ask that question?"_ Where is he? Why is that such a hard question?_

"I take it you don't know," Sai stated with no emotions.

"I'm really getting sick of this." The enraged Uchiha responded. "What is it about Naruto that I don't know?"

"You will have to talk to Naruto," Sakura answered. _Of course he does not know. Sasuke has been gone for years._

"Why does everyone say that?" He blustered. Did they practice that?

"It's Naruto's life," Sai responded.

Sasuke was getting sick of this Sai guy rather fast. This guy was his enemy. He had a gut feeling that Sai was trying to steal something or rather someone very important from him. "I don't need to listen to you." He turned his back on the two members. "I am going to see Lady Tsunade."_ I need to see Naruto!_

"We are heading that way too. We can walk with you," Sai said while he walked past the enraged raven. Sakura could feel the hatred in the air as she followed behind the two men. It was almost too strong, but their killing intent was rather strong as well.

Sasuke strode pass the Shinobi and opened the door as he heard a female voice asked, "What?"

"Uchiha, what do you want?" asked the ferocious Hokage. Her killing intent was horrendous at this point.

Sasuke walked passed the frozen kunoichi Anbu in the room. "I want to know the thing that everyone else knows that I don't." He stopped, when Lady Tsunade looked back to the quiet Anbu behind him. "Hello, I am talking to you!"

"I know, but I was in the middle of something important."

"What is so important that you were talking about with this girl?" He snapped.

"Get out, before I kick your ass out!" the Godaime hissed. Sasuke knew he was not going to win, so he started to leave. "The council agreed to let you back in, but if you do one thing wrong, you will forfeit your life."

"Hn." The raven responded. He stopped with his hand on the door. Sai, Sakura, and Tsunade glanced at him as if he was crazy, but the female Anbu never moved from her position. Sasuke took notice of this, but he didn't care. He, however, felt like he knew her. Her aura was rather close to a special dobe in the village. "Do I know you?"

Naruto couldn't believe her ears or eyes. The man, who left Konoha, was back, and he didn't know who she was_. Of course, he doesn't know who I am. He doesn't know I'm really a girl. _"You should." Her fear rose.

He remembered what Kakashi told him. She was 'the girl' that he brought up. "Who are you?" He faced her, but she didn't look at him. The next question was for Tsunade, but he didn't turn away from Fire Fox. "Kakashi, and these fools said or hinted that Naruto has a big Secret, Tsunade. What is it?"

"Why don't you ask Naruto?"

"I don't know where he is, and then Kakashi said he wanted to be there, when I see the dobe, and I don't understand why." _What's going on here?_

"Oil Eagle, Pink Slug, you two can leave now. You will have a break before your next mission," The Hokage ordered.

"Hai." They responded as they disappeared in puff of smoke.

"Okay, Naruto, take off your mask," commanded Tsunade.

_The dobe is here, but there are only the three of us in here!_ "Naruto is here?"

_"_Hai," the kunoichi answered both of them at the same time. Sasuke stared at the blonde as she took off her mask. He stared at the gorgeous blonde, but his eyes stopped at her cheeks. She had the same markings as Naruto, but how could that be? Naruto was a man not a woman. Naruto, seeing the confused look in his eyes, said, "It is me, teme."

"What are you talking about? Naruto is male!" Sasuke spited. _How dare they do this to me? Why are they joking about something like this?_

"Shut it, Uchiha." Tsunade snapped at him. "It's really Naruto. You can use your Sharingan and see for yourself!" Sasuke did more then that. He pinned Naruto against the wall. "What are you doing?" Sasuke didn't answer, but Tsunade didn't move._ I should let him be, but if he hurts her, I will cut off his manhood and feed it to him._

Naruto couldn't move as the Sharingan user had his scarlet eyes on her. Naruto didn't feel comfortable with his eyes looking over her like that. "Teme, you pervert. Let me go!" Sasuke didn't pay any attention to the words coming out of her lips, her kissable pink lips.

"Hn."

He dropped her, and Naruto fell with a loud thud. "What was that for, teme?"

"Hn."_ How is Naruto a girl? I should have known that Naruto is a Girl. What good is my Sharingan, if I couldn't have seen pass her simple henge?_

"I take it you believe it that she's really Naruto," Lady Tsunade asked.

"It's just hard to take in," He answered. _Kakashi asked if I saw 'her,' but he changed it to she is out of town, when I said Naruto and the others were out on a mission. Then people hinted that Naruto was keeping a secret, but it was 'his' to tell!_ Sasuke went to face Naruto, but she was gone. "Where did the dobe go?"

"She must have sneaked out, when we weren't paying attention, and there was something very important I needed to tell her! That gaki." She rotated in her chair to the window. "Just because the council set you free, doesn't mean I trust you or even care the least for you. You are on thin ice, Uchiha, so one wrong move, I will have you killed."

"Hn." Sasuke didn't care. His mind was on the blonde.

Tsunade was somehow able to sense this. "If you hurt Naruto, which is something I won't stand for, but if you hurt her in any way, I will kill you myself. Do you understand?" _And I will take great joy in it!_

"Hai." Sasuke was jealous._ Why does everyone care for my dobe?……Wait. My dobe?_ It was his job or rather going to be his job to protect the blonde dobe. "May I leave now?" He asked with a hint of hatred. _I need Naruto to smooth this out for me._

"Just stay away from her," the blonde Godaime ordered.

"Hn." There was no way that Sasuke was going to stay away from Naruto. There were so many unanswered questions that he needed answered, and he was going to get them answered. _I have to go see him, or rather her. There is nothing that old hag can do to stop me!_

_

* * *

_Naruto entered her messy apartment that she had lived in for many years now. She did fixed it up, when she had time and money, which wasn't often. The blonde could have bought a new apartment (if she wasn't spending it all on ramen), but this place held too many memories.

She threw her fox mask on her sofa and changed into her regular clothes consisting of an orange shirt with black netting under it to hide her Anbu tattoo, black skirt with slits on the sides that ended above the knees, orange shorts under the skirt, kunia pouch, and black knee high opened toes boots. She let her platinum blonde hair fall around her face, while her azure eyes sparkled in the light. The necklace that she won from Tsunade hung in plane view above her average size chest, and her Konoha headband lay around her neck. Naruto looked rather hot in her body fitting outfit, but that was the last thing on her mind, when she wore it. _Why did he come back? Why doesn't he believe it's really me? Why does it hurt this much just seeing him?_

Naruto came out of her room, when she heard knocking at the front door. Could it be him? She didn't want to answer the door incase it was the raven. Sasuke was her best friend/rival, even if he left the village so many years ago. She didn't want to lose their friendship for something stupid like her being a girl. _I don't want to answer it. I can't answer the door._ She turned her back to the door and headed back to her room.

"Naruto, are you in there?" Wait, it wasn't Sasuke. It was Sakura.

"Coming," Naruto yelled back. She scampered to the door and pulled it open, revealing her teammate. "Sakura, how may I help you?"

"I wanted to talk to you about what we talked about on the way back from Suna."

"Gaara and Sai?"

"Hai, baka." Sakura paused not knowing, if she should bring up their old teammate. "And there is Sasuke?"

Sakura couldn't see Naruto's cerulean eyes as she said the taboo word. "I'm going to get some ramen, if you want to come?"

Sakura was in no mood to eat those fattening noodles, but she knew she needed to talk to her blonde teammate. "I guess… Sure why not."

The walk to Ichiraku Ramen bar was silent, and Sakura wanted to say something. "So how's the weather?" Naruto didn't answer the question._ How stupid? How's the weather? And I call her the baka._

They arrived and ordered the ramen. Sakura finish her first and only bowl, while Naruto was an abyss. She kept eating bowl after bowl. This was when Sakura decided to speak. "So which subject do you want to talk about first?"

"Does it really matter?"

Sakura glanced at the blonde. The ramen had cheered up Naruto exceedingly, and this made her giggle. It was funny that something as stupid as ramen cheered up the Anbu Captain, who had seen the ups and downs of life. "So how do you feel about Sai and Gaara?"

"They are great friends. They are the few close friends that I have, but I don't know if it's more then that," Naruto paused. "I don't think they like me like that!"

Sakura couldn't believe how stupid Naruto was being. Could she not see what was right in front of her face? How could she miss it? "How blind are you?" she yelled. She tried not to, but it just happened. Naruto didn't answer, and Sakura decided to drop it. The next subject was a bit hard to talk about. How could she bring up Sasuke? Sasuke was taboo to Naruto.

"Just ask it already."

"I guess you know what I want to talk about?"

"I can be naive sometimes, well most of the time, but I'm not stupid." The orange ninja looked to the ceiling as if it was a safety net. "I didn't talk too much to that teme." She paused to see if Sakura would talk, but she didn't. "He knows about me being a girl, but he didn't believe me at first. He had to use his sharingan on me to make sure it was really me," Naruto moaned.

"What did he say?" Naruto either looked away or made sure Sakura never saw her face. "Baka, what did you do?" She yelled once more.

"I left before he could say anything." Naruto soon lost her cheery self again. "I didn't want to be rejected by my best friend/rival."

"You have to talk to him."

"Why should I? How do I know you are right? You think Sai and Gaara like me!"

"You don't notice things like that. You are too innocent. You never noticed that Hinata liked the male you, Naruto, since you liked me. Remember? You always listened to me then. That was the good life." She paused. "How did that work? You being a girl, when you liked me?"

"Okay. I only knew I was a girl for five years now, so I believed I was a guy before that." Naruto stood from the bar and had her back to Sakura. "I didn't know any better." The orange kunoichi disappeared before her teammate could stop her.

Naruto left the Hokage's office quietly after the teme dropped her, and she made sure no one would notice her leaving. She didn't want to hear his answer, but why would she care? She never cared about what men thought, so why now? Why did she care now?

* * *

Tell me what you think! Good or bad i like them both. what would you like to see?

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6/05/08- i have updated this chapter. Took words out. Added words. Changed words. And Fixed my mistakes. I hope you like it. and thanks for reading!

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8/12/08- I have updated this chapter, since one of the reviewers said I'm 'abusing' Fanfiction's rules, or something like that! If they think i'm abusing the rules, then he should read other stories, which have far worse grammar then i do!!

* * *

8/3/09- updated and fixed. my sister and i have been fixing them so i hope you like it and that read more haha

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Thankz for reading!

-Cass

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	3. permission?

Can I be my true self? A Naruto story.

I do not own naruto, and we all know who does!

I hope you like this chapter!

* * *

Chapter three

Permission?

* * *

Part three

* * *

Sitting in the shadows, a man looked down to Yuki. The master was covered in a long crepuscular cloak that covered his face. Yuki couldn't move from his spot as his master's eyes hold him in position. "Are you certain that you heard right?"

Yuki dare not be wrong. "I..I am positive." The frozen man sweated a river.

"She finally revealed herself. The daughter of Minato Namikaze, or better known as Yondaime or the Yellow Flash, will be ours. She will atone for her father's sins." The vicious master said. "I can't believe I had waited this long for her!"

"She…she is the…the daughter of the…the Yellow Flash?"

"Hai. She will fall. That will be the best revenge for me. Too bad Minato is dead. My revenge would have been so much sweeter, if I could have killed her in front of him." The master's laugh was pure villainous. He was having too much fun just thinking about torturing the girl. He was truly evil.

"Hai, it would be, but sadly he is dead already."

"I know!" The master's killing intent was enormous. "I just wished it was me who killed him! Keep an eye on the Namikaze girl, but not too close. You cannot be notice."

* * *

The orange kunoichi sat on the head of Yondaime with her arms around her knees. She didn't understand why it was so hard to talk about that man! "Naruto?"

A figure in the shadows walked to her. "Sai?"

"Hai, it's me." The ex-root member sat down right next to her.

"Why are you here?" She whispered.

"To talk to you. Why else would I be here?"

"Okay?" Naruto wasn't in the mood to talk. She especially didn't want to talk about the teme. "Whatever you want?"

Sai decided to jump right in, since he was never the kind of guy to beat around the bush. "I thought you wanted Sasuke back, and that you would do anything to keep him here."

"I do." Neither Naruto nor Sai made any movements to look at each other. "So what is your point?"

"You should be over moon to have him back, but instead you are avoiding him." _Why am I doing this? Why should I help the imbecilic Uchiha?……I'm helping Naruto, but that doesn't mean that I will sit back and let Uchiha get what he wants._ Sai thought. His smile was fake, but Naruto wasn't paying attention.

Sai's words hit home. He seemed to calm the blonde down somehow, but Naruto couldn't explain it how. "You are right." Tears started to flow. "I hate being a woman! We are so emotional. We cry over every little things. I miss being a guy. Life was simpler."

All these bonds started to get to Sai, but it was a great thing. He wouldn't change it for the world even if it took a lot out of him. Sai chuckled at her last sentence. "Yea, but I could never do this if you were a boy. Or rather I wouldn't do it."

The blonde didn't understand what Sai meant by that. "What do you mean?"

"This." He put his hand to her face and wiped her tears away. Sai wanted to do more, but he knew that she was not in the place right now. Sometimes my own emotions are too much for me to handle. He thought.

Naruto was speechless for once in her life. "….." Nothing came out as she tried to speak. Sai smile, since he knew he wasn't going to get an response. Was Sakura right? I have a lot of boys, who are nice to me, but it wouldn't make sense for that many people to like me. Naruto Uzumaki was never a person to be quiet for too long. "Thanks, for the advice." She got up knowing what she had to do. "I have to go. Bye." Sai smiled, not saying word, and the girl disappeared from his sight.

"You can come out now."

Sasuke was doing a bad job of 'wondering around.' He was hoping he could pass by her randomly. He wanted to look for her, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. He was the great Sasuke Uchiha. He didn't go around looking for people. People found him! He had too much pride for himself, and he knew it, but there was nothing he could or would do about it.

Sasuke found himself wondering up to Yondaime's head, the dobe's favorite spot. Sasuke felt furious and jealous at the same time. His replacement, for all those years, had replaced him once more at Naruto's side. It was suppose to be his job to comfort the blonde dobe.

The raven could not hear anything that the two were saying. He wanted to go closer, but he knew the ex-root member would sense him. Sai and Naruto were rather close together, but Naruto didn't look too happy. This made Sasuke even more psychotic. He wanted to go up to the blonde and pull her into his arms, but his damn Uchiha's pride would not let him.

Tears fell from her eyes, but Sasuke never moved. He wanted to, but he was never any good with dealing with emotions. The only thing that Sasuke heard was Naruto yelling, "I hate being a woman!" Sasuke didn't know what to make of it, but he did know that he couldn't make any judgments. His blood started to boil as Sai touched his dobe, and it seemed to calm the hyperactive kunoichi. Sai was too close for Sasuke's liking, but he wasn't going to do anything about it. Sasuke was jumping for joy, well on the inside, when Naruto got up and left. "You can come out now."

Sasuke didn't need to be told more then once._ How did he know I was here?_ Sasuke glared at him with his famous Uchiha glare, which he gave about almost everyone, well everyone. "How did you know I was here?"

"I am an Anbu Black Ops. It's very hard to sneak up on me; however, the only one that could do that is Naruto. And we all know that she doesn't usually sneak up on anyone. Naruto was with me, so it had to be you, since you are looking for her." Sai smiled his famous fake smile.

"I wasn't looking for that loser. I was just walking around."

_"_Whatever."

"Hn."

"I like Naruto more then a friend, and since you won't make a move, I will."

"Why would I make move on Naruto?"

"You like her."

"No, I don't." He snapped. _Yes. I do!_ Ex-missing ninja thought.

"Then you won't mind, if I ask her out?"

"No." _YES! I WOULD MIND._ Sasuke tried, but he couldn't get the words out._ She's mine. You can't have her!_ Sasuke was very cold to Sai as his pride got the best of the Uchiha.

"So I can ask her out?"

"Hai. Why would I care if you ask her out?" _I do care! Say it, damn it!_ He growled at himself. He was being stupid.

"Good. She won't be single forever. Naruto's a fine catch. You can't let a girl like that escape." Sai was about to leave. "I think she is looking for you, wanting to explain about her being a girl."

"Hn." Sasuke was rather upset.

"Don't spy on me again, okay?" The ex-root member smiled, but he was deadly serious. He was always serious.

"Hn," Sasuke paused. "Why was she crying?"

"You can never understand women."

"What do you mean by that?" He roared at Sai. Sasuke was outraged. Sai didn't answer. It was like he wanted to annoy the Uchiha to death. Sasuke watched as Sai disappeared. He wanted to stop Sai from doing many things. One he wanted to stop him from leaving, and two, he wanted to stop from taking away the only person that Sasuke wanted. _Why did I said no? How dare he ask me that?_ The raven headed home._ How dare he ask me about her? How dare he ask me, if he could ask Naruto out?_ After cursing Sai, Sasuke thought, _I forgot! Sai said that Naruto was looking for me. I will just look for her tomorrow._

"Where is that teme?" The dismayed Naruto questioned as hours went by, looking for Sasuke. It was getting dark as the blonde made her way back to her apartment. She knew the way to her apartment blindfolded, but that didn't mean she was perfect. The blonde looked up to the starry sky and didn't notice the person that she walked into.

"Naruto?"

"Neji, I'm sorry. I didn't see you there."

"I guessed that, because if you did, you wouldn't have walked into me." His lavender eyes locked onto Naruto's cerulean eyes. "You looked stress."

"I could never get anything pass those eyes of yours."

"Not many people can."

She took in a long breath. "I was looking for Sasuke."

"Why would you look for the traitor?" Neji never really like that man, but it grow into hatred, when he left the village those five years ago. "I still find it hard that he came back on his own." He added as Naruto glared at him. "He must want something."

Naruto didn't understand why she glared at him. Did she like Sasuke? No, he was her best friend. "He found out that I was a girl, but I left before we could talk about it. I was afraid of what he might say to me."

"It doesn't matter how much you hide. You cannot change your destiny."

"You're still on that. You make your own future, dattebayo!" She chuckled. "I thought I already showed you that you control your own fate."

"You did." Neji turned scarlet. Naruto was one of the few that could do that.

"Good." Naruto stared at the boy and he gave her what-are-you-looking-at look. "I thought I saw something on your face, but it's gone."

"Okay?" His eyebrow rose.

"So how are Hinata and Kiba doing?"

"Their relationship is doing great." He paused. "They are getting closer and closer." _They could being engaged soon,_ he thought.

"So how are you and Tenten?"

"Friends."

"Why?"

"I like someone else."

"Who? Do I know them?" Neji nodded. "I could help! You should go right up to her and ask her out!"

"Easier said then done." _It's kind of hard, when you are the person!_ Neji was another person, who had a hard time showing his emotions.

"How hard can it be?"

"Why don't I walk you home?" He avoided the evil question. It was hard. Damn it!

"You never answered my question." She said as he took her hand.

He lead her the whole way to her apartment, and there wasn't one word said. Neji was the first to speak as they stood in front of Naruto's door. "I can explain it over dinner sometime." Naruto was speechless, which didn't happen too often, but it seemed to happen a lot today. "What about the day after tomorrow? I will take you to dinner."

The kunoichi couldn't see Neji blush in the darken area. "Sure, but…"

Neji put up his hand to silent her. "It's just dinner. It will be informal."

"Okay."

"So the day after tomorrow around seven?"

"That sounds good."

"Good." The ninja backed away from Naruto. "Bye, Naruto."

"Bye." Neji disappeared in a puff of smoke leaving Naruto speechless. She had no idea what she had agree to, but she knew it was big. Naruto wanted to tell someone, but she didn't want to be made fun of. Sakura was usually good with things like this as well as Ino. Sakura had been dating Rock lee for two years, and well Ino was, well, still single. Hey, they were very good with advice.

Naruto rushed into her bedroom and let gravity take over._ I will go see what they think. Being a girl is too much work! Guys don't have to deal with problems like this._ Her cerulean eyes soon started to fade in the darkness as she fell asleep.

Sasuke had a bad night. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Sai and Naruto together. It made him sick to his stomach, and Sasuke would have to wake himself up every now and then to end the nightmare.

Dawn came rapidly, and the raven had to push himself out of his bed. His body didn't want to move, but his Uchiha's pride would not let that stop him. A knock, at the door, made the raven move swiftly, and to Sasuke's displeasure, it was Kakashi. "Yo."

"What do you want?" Sasuke growled.

"Did someone wake up on the wrong side of the bed today?"

"Shut-up and answer the damn question!"

"Did a black cat across your path today?" It was nothing new for Sasuke to be irritated, but this was something different. Sasuke was in a mood to kill, but the Silver haired Jounin didn't understand why. He would find out, however.

"Why are you here?" Sasuke asked.

"I just wonder, if you saw her, yet?" Kakashi answered with another question.

"Hai, I have seen Naruto!"

"It's hard to believe that Naruto is really a girl." Kakashi shuffled passed the indignant teen and posed himself on the futon. "I wished I was there to see it."

Kakashi chuckled as he pictured it. "Naruto's a girl, so what?"

"Did you two get into another fight?"

"No, she left before I would react to her being female."

"That is understandable."

"Why would you say that?" The Uchiha growled.

"You aren't the easiest person to get along with, and you aren't very understanding." He lowered his voice hoping his student would not hear him. "You're never going to get a woman, since you only care for yourself. You're going to end up alone."

Unlucky for Kakashi, Sasuke heard every word. "Look at you!" He snapped. "You have your nose in that book of yours all day. You are going to be alone not me!"

Kakashi was partly hurt by what the raven said, but the Jouin had lost his comrades, so being alone was nothing knew for him. When Kakashi got his own team to teach, he felt better then ever, but something was missing still. "Why are you so upset?"

Sasuke didn't know what to say. His problems started with Naruto. They always began with that blonde dobe. "Naruto."

_"What did she do?"_

"She did nothing." Sasuke took in a deep breathe and started to speak. "I didn't believe Naruto was a girl at first, and she must had seen it in my eyes. I saw it was really the dobe, when I used my sharingan, but she disappeared before I could say anything, or explain why she is a she. I…"

Kakashi cut him off. "You are rather hard to talk to, since you are always wearing I-am-going-to-kill-you-if-you-talk-or-even-look-at-me look."

"Shut-up." Kakashi smirked under his mask, but Sasuke was able to see it. "What is so funny?"

"You like Naruto."

"Hn."

"You like her, before you knew he was she."

"I am not gay, damn it."

"Of coarse not, and it's fine. You are in love with Naruto, who is in fact girl."

"Shut-up!"

"Naruto is a catch! If only I was a few years younger,"_ and her father wasn't my Sensei. He would find a way to come back to life and kill me for even thinking about his only daughter._ Sasuke gave him don't-you-dare-say-it look. "What?"

"YOU PERVERT."

"I just call them how I see them."

"Whatever. Just don't touch her." The house was so quiet that you could hear a needle fall. "So how long did you know Naruto was a girl?"

"I found out after your clash at the Valley of the End."

"Did Naruto always knew she was a girl?"_ Naruto liked Sakura, so I would say no...unless it was an act._

"No. She found out after the Third died, because the henge that the third cast evanesced as he died."

"I wonder how she took that."

"Naruto freaked, but that is all I know. Jiraiya was the only person to see Naruto's reaction, so you have to ask him, or better yet ask, Naruto."

"Why did she stay a boy, when she was trying to bring me back to the village?"_ I might have come back with her, if I knew she was a she._

"Naruto had just recently stop using the henge. Naruto said, being male was easier. Naruto still doesn't know much about being a woman. It's cute." The senior ninja giggled. That orange book had only been a bad influence on him, but he wasn't going to stop reading it.

"Pervert!"

"You were thinking the same thing as me."

"Shut-up!"

"It's true. So why are you so frantic?"

"Sai is going to ask out my dobe?"_ Sai better not touch her, if he wants to see the age of 20._

"Your dobe?" Kakashi repeated.

"Hn."

"So are you admitting that you love her?"

".…..Hai." Sasuke glared at him. "If you tell anyone, I will kill you."

Kakashi knew the raven was true to his word. "How do you know that?"

"He ask me, if he could ask her out, and I said yes."

"Sasuke." He let out a deep sigh. "You were never any good telling people how you feel." Sasuke gave him the famous Uchiha glare. "I doubt Naruto would go out with Sai anyway. It took them forever to be come friends, but next time you should show your emotions. I have to go." Kakashi didn't wait for a reply.

"Jackass!"

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I hope you like it, and thanks for all the reviews. If you reviewed you should had gotten a reply back, but if you didnot it means many things! Tell me what you think. Good or bad, and by the way, i was prove reading this late night, so there could be or will be grammar mistakes. Sorry about that, so when i'm awake, i will look this over to check. If you want to see something happen, email me, and i will think about.

Please and thank you!

And by the way, i was eventual going to turn this in a SasNaru live story, but i will open up a poll. Send me any name of the person that you want Naruto to end up with and the person with the most votes will win Naruto's heart. It is open to anyone in the show, as long as they are alive in my story anyways. So email me the name of the person that you want to see Naruto-chan with. It can be anyone you want, and there is no one that you can not pick, so tell me who!!

* * *

6/05/08- That poll is long gone, but feel free to email me. I have updated this chapter. I added things. remove things. change things. And fixed things.

* * *

8/12/08- I have updated this chapter, since one of the reviewers said I'm 'abusing' Fanfiction's rules, or something like that! If they think i'm abusing the rules, then he should read other stories, which have far worse grammar then i do!!


	4. Date'

* * *

Can I be my true self? A Naruto story.

I do not own Naruto, and we all know who does!

And by the way, i was eventual going to turn this in a SasNaru live story, but i will open up a poll. Send me any name of the person that you want Naruto to end up with and the person with the most votes will win Naruto's heart. It is open to anyone in the show, as long as they are alive in my story anyways. So email me the name of the person that you want to see Naruto-chan with. It can be anyone you want, and there is no one that you can not pick, so tell me who!!

* * *

Chapter Four

'Date?'

* * *

Part four

* * *

"Sakura!" Naruto called out as she looked everywhere for the kunoichi.

"What is it, baka?" Sakura asked as she stood next to Ino. She was already close to the edge.

"I need to talk to you two." The sun kissed blonde begged.

Sakura lead the two blondes to a near-by park. "What is it?" Her teammate asked. Sakura wasn't in the best of moods today, and it all started with a certain raven. Everyone, who was not stupid, knew that Sakura had an obsession with Sasuke, when they were younger. Lee knew this most of all, and he started a fight over the home coming of the Sharingan user. Sakura tried to tell him that it was over, but Lee felt that he was her's second choice, since the pink kunoichi could never have Sasuke. Sakura told Lee over and over again that she loved him and only him, but Lee wasn't really listening to his lover of two years. "Out with it." Sakura went to Ino to see if she could help her out, but the only thing, she could think of, was to get the raven a lover. Ino submitted herself to be Sasuke's lover, but Sakura knew that the certain brunet found all females (and males) pains in the ass.

"Neji wants to take me out for dinner, and I don't know what that means. I don't know what to do. Help me, please," Naruto begged.

"Come on!" Ino squawked. "You have fan boys, and Neji is one of them!"

Sakura let out a sigh. "You are blind, Naruto. You can't see things right in front of your face." Sakura was about to speak again, but Ino vanished.

Sakura didn't have to wait long to hear Ino squeal, "Sasuke!" The two ANBU teammates watched as Ino fondled the raven. "It has been too long."

"Get off!" The brunet yelled as Ino dragged him to the other ladies. He choked up as the shine sun blonde came into view. Sasuke was always unsociable, so no one noticed what the blonde could do to him.

"It has been too long." Ino said. "Don't you think so?"

"Not long enough." He growled, but Ino wouldn't get the picture.

Sakura decided to disregard the two. "Naruto, so when is this date of yours?"

Naruto turned scarlet, and she hated when this happen, but it seemed to happen a lot lately. _I hate being a woman. _"It's not a date! Neji and I are just hanging out!"

"He's taking you to dinner tomorrow. How dense are you?"

"I'm not!" Naruto yelled.

"Yes, you are," interjected the other blonde. Ino held tighter to the Sasuke, but the raven just pushed away. "What's wrong, Sasuke?"

Sasuke was ferocious. His dobe was going on a date with Neji. That man wasn't right for his blonde, since he was the only man right for Naruto. "Don't touch me. You people are annoying." There was no way in hell that the brunet was going to let that Hyuga touch what belonged to him. He would do anything to reck their date. He meant anything!

"Teme, what stick is up your ass?" Naruto growled.

"Hn." Sasuke disappeared before anyone would stop him.

"Teme!"

Sakura couldn't believe her eyes. It couldn't be possible, could it? Sasuke was never a kind of person who showed their emotions, but that was so readable that it wasn't even funny. Sasuke was cold, but the air around froze as Naruto's date was brought up. _Sasuke likes Naruto_, she thought. They were best friends, so it wasn't that hard to believe. _I can get them together, and then Lee can forget the Sasuke obsession that I had when I was younger. _There was a bit of a problem with that plan; Sasuke would never tell Naruto how he felt about her, but Sakura knew how to work around that. Sasuke would tell the blonde how he felt, when he got jealous enough. "Naruto, Ino and I can help you get ready for this dinner with Neji."

Ino didn't really care, if Sakura agreed they would help before asking her, since she wanted to help the loud mouth kunoichi anyway. Ino loved to go shopping and to do make overs. Naruto was in need of a make-over big time. The orange kunoichi never wore make-up, and the outfit that she wore now was the only thing that she owned that was feminine. "It would be so much fun!"

"I don't want to be too girly." Naruto whined.

"You are a girl, so get use to it." Ino and Sakura both said at the same time.

* * *

Sasuke wasn't going to let Naruto out of his sight. The orange kunoichi, who he wanted to talk to one on one, was shopping with the other girls. He hoped they wouldn't mess with her natural beauty too much, which was one of the reasons why he liked the dobe so much. Naruto didn't worry about her looks like other girls. She didn't worry about her weight. She seemed more human, then other girls. Sasuke couldn't take his eyes off his dobe, when Ino and Sakura placed her in a little coral dress. It took his breath away, and he didn't notice his replacement come up right behind him.

"Hello, Sasuke."

"What do you want?" He gnarled.

"Naruto." Sasuke wanted to kill him, and he was going to, but he needed to make sure no one would know it was him. He didn't want to lose Naruto. "What's wrong? You said you didn't like her," Sai snickered.

"Hn." Sai was the last person that Sasuke was going to tell his feeling to.

"I was planning something, but I needed something to relax me, and Naruto is the only one that can do that for me."

"Hn." Sasuke disappeared, not wanting to listen to Sai and his sick fantasies about Naruto. The dobe was his, and Sasuke had his own sick fantasies that involved the loud blonde.

* * *

Naruto was getting tired of Ino and Sakura and walked away without them knowing. The off duty Anbu captain didn't want them to come after her, so she left a clone in her place.

Naruto was still confused about the 'date' that she was going on with Neji as she headed to her favorite spot upon the Yondaime's head. She felt at home upon his head as well as safe, but she didn't understand why her hero had this effect on her. She let gravity take over as she fell on the dead Hokage's head, but she didn't feel as safe as she usually did.

She felt a pair of eyes on her, but that was nothing new, since there were always eyes on her. She was Naruto, the vessel of the Nine Tailed Fox. The question was who didn't glare at her. These eyes, she could feel, ate at her soul, and she wanted to run, but Naruto never backed down from a challenge. She rose to her feet as she searched for the malignant eyes. The only eyes that she saw came from her best friend/rival, but she knew these eyes weren't the same ones that penetrated her before. "Teme," she said as she couldn't find the destructive stare.

"Dobe."

"What do you want?" Her sapphire eyes couldn't leave his onyx eyes.

"You never explain to me about why you hid being a girl for five years."

"Why would you care?" She snapped, so unlike her.

"Well, what would you do, if the person, who was your rival for years, was a girl?"

"Hmm. You being a girl, now that's funny." Naruto giggled. "If you do a henge, we can see." The raven growled at the blonde, which only caused the orange ninja to chuckle. "Just because someone turns out to be a girl, doesn't change who they are."

"Hn."

"What, Sasuke-teme?"

"What you said was deep."

"Teme!"

"So, why were you hiding it?"

Naruto found that to be a strenuous question! She never really thought about it. "It's hard being a woman. You should try it."

"No thank you…… Then why did you recently revealed yourself to be a woman?" He said trying not to hurt her for her last comment.

"If I want to be hokage, I can't lie to the village, and it was time to be my true self." Her smiled warmed up the Uchiha inside, but his pride was too great for him to admit it. "I have to be my true self, if I ever want to be the Rokudaime."

"Dobe, if you be yourself, you are going to annoy people to death." Sasuke loved to tease the dobe, since it was his way to show his feelings, but no one ever picked up on it. He, however, wouldn't dare tease someone else like the way he teased the sun kissed blonde. He smirked as his blonde pushed back her netting sleeves. "What? You want me to kick your butt?"

He chucked. "You don't stand a chance." He teased.

"I challenge you to a duel, Sasuke-teme."

"What big words for a dobe like you."

"I'm going to pommel you!" Naruto made some clones and pulled out a kunia as she charged the raven.

"I like to see you try."

"I'm going to beat you, dattebayo."

* * *

Naruto was sore as hell as she nudged herself out of bed. The brunet and blonde went all out the night before, and she could barely get herself home. She was the vessel of the Nine-tail Fox, but it had been seal farther down, so she wouldn't release it every time she got mad. This also meant that the fox's healing powers couldn't heal her as fast as it did before, but she still healed faster then the normal ninja. She may had been bruised, but she was jubilant. She missed these fights that she had with the Uchiha all those years ago.

Naruto was a mess as she studied herself in the mirror, but she didn't mind her appearance. After washing up, she found a colossal rubicund bag in her room. It was the dress that Sakura and Ino made her blonde clone get. Even though she didn't experience it herself, she had the memories of shopping with those two witches. It was a rather horrifying day as the girls put Naruto's clone in everything. (I mean every thing!)

"They don't think I'm going to wear this, do they?" The fuchsia dress laid out on the bed. It was the perfect dress for her body type, but Naruto didn't want anything to do with the nightmare.

There was a knock at the door. The platinum blonde wanted to scream as she opened the door to the most bloodcurdling things (at the time) in the natural world. Sakura and Ino walked passed the silent blonde, as if she wasn't there. "Come on, Naruto. We have to get you ready for your date." Ino said.

"What do you mean? It isn't 'til seven, and it's still before noon." Nine tailed Fox Vessel whined.

"Baka, beauty takes time." Sakura lectured as she pulled Naruto into the room with the malicious dress.

"I am not wearing that!" Naruto whined.

"Naruto, Sakura and I will just have to make you then." Ino and Sakura forced the naive ANBU captain, who had faced many strong enemies and won, into the fancy venomous dress. "This dress is perfect for you."

The strapless dress stopped a couple inches above the knee. "This shows to much skin." Naruto whined. She hated being a woman. How can she be her self in this dress? It wasn't her.

"Neji won't be able to keep his hand off of you." Ino inputted.

Sakura giggled. _And either would Sasuke. _Sakura, using all her power, forced the blonde into a chair. She did have to tie her down as Ino and her worked on the rest of Naruto. _Sasuke will have to admit his feeling for this baka, and Lee will feel better about Sasuke being back. _"Don't worry."

"I don't wanna!" Naruto begged. "I'm not that kind of girl." She cried.

"We don't care!" The two bitches, at the time (in Naruto's eyes), yelled. They spent hours on Naruto and they didn't even take any breaks. It was about ten minutes before Neji was due. Why did it take them that long? Naruto was breath taking, when she stepped away from her friends and starred in the mirror. Her golden curly lucks fell around her, framing her beauty ultramarine eyes. The atrocious dress framed the kunoichi perfectly and went great with her knee high fancy charcoal boots and purse. "Perfect!" Ino and Sakura squealed at their work of art. There was a knock on the door.

"Coming." Naruto yelled as she rushed pass the girls to the door. "Hey, Neji."

"Hello, Naruto," he simpered. "Hey, Sakura and Ino." He added after sensing them in the room, but his eyes never left the blonde. Naruto held him in place and everything around him seem to disappear. Neji and Naruto disappeared leaving Sakura and Ino there alone.

"That was weird," Sakura said.

"Yea." Ino responded.

* * *

"You can't eat ramen all time." Neji chuckled.

"Ramen is the best food ever!" Naruto whined as she looked down to her food. She lived on ramen, which for the longest time was the only thing she could afford, but it also bought back good memories. She took a bit and giggled. "This is good, but ramen is still better."

"You and ramen go together like two peas in a pod."

"Hai, dattebayo."

"Do you always say dattebayo?"

"Dattebayo!" She paused. "Does it annoy you?"

"No." Neji loved to her hear her say it. That word helped him believe that he can do anything that he wished. "I like it, when you say it." Naruto could change anyone's viewpoint. She could be friends anyone. It was her special gift.

Naruto blushed. "Thanks."

"Do you want to dance?"

"Dattebayo." Neji laughed at her answer.

* * *

A pair of bloodshot eyes didn't leave the dancing couple. The Sharingan user wanted to kill that man as he placed his hands on the **his** dobe. Sasuke was very close indeed. The blonde laughed and blushed at whatever the Hyuga said, and Sasuke became sick as Naruto put her arms around Neji's neck. Sasuke wanted to leave and push that blonde out of his life right then and there, but he couldn't do that! He didn't want any other woman. He wanted Naruto, and he wasn't going to lose her to Neji.

_Naruto looks hot,_ Sasuke thought_. Stop it, I can't think that way._ Sasuke would have never thought of himself as a pervert, but his mind was nothing but what he could do with Naruto in bed. The raven wanted to pull her to his body and ……...….. _No, I can't think about her in that way. I rather do it in person!_ The brunet never noticed his replacement come up behind him, which seemed to happen a lot.

"Neji would be dead by now, if a glare could kill," Sai noticed.

"Want do you want?" He spatted.

"I already told you that I like Naruto. I won't lose her to Neji."

Sasuke growled at his look alike. (An: I don't think that they look too much alike.) He rather lose his dobe to Neji then to this ex-root member. "Hn."

"I'm going to interject myself at their table."

* * *

Neji lead Naruto back to their table. "Your dancing needs help."

"Hey!" Naruto whined. "My dancing is good enough."

"I can help you with that," Her 'date' told her.

"I.."

"Hey, Naruto." The two looked to the incoming Sai. "What are you doing here?" He asked as he sat himself down next to Naruto. Neji menaced as Sai didn't even acknowledge that he was there.

"Neji took me out for dinner."

"That was nice of him." Sai presented his famous fake smile.

"It was." The naive blonde giggled as the two brunets stared at each other.

"Dobe."

"Teme!" Naruto snapped. "What are you doing here?"

"What does it look like?" Sasuke said as he stood at the end of table.

"Teme!" She yelled as she came to her feet.

"Calm down, Naruto." Neji ordered.

"Sasuke must have had the same idea as me." Sai responded.

"What do you mean?"

Naruto listened as the three boys started an argument, but she had no idea what started the fight. She wanted to beat Sasuke and Sai as it seemed they started it all, when they arrived. She was about to break the men up, but she felt the same vicious eyes on her.

Fear started to over come her, but she had to find out, who was doing this to her. She had to do it on her own, since she had been on her own forever, and there was nothing she couldn't do on her own. "I will be right back." She didn't care if they heard her or not, but she was off. She ran down the empty street. It was rigorous to run in this fancy malicious dress, and the black purse pounced on her hip.

She felt a chill down her spine. _Why is it so empty? It's not that late._ If this was anyone else, they would have run in the other direction, but Naruto was never a person to back out of anything. What was that? Every time she turned around, there was movement right behind her. "Show yourself!" Naruto didn't know, if she really wanted to see who it was.

A man with dark cinnamon spiky hair and beige eyes appeared in front of her. "My master didn't want me to reveal myself yet, but I think we can have some fun before his dream comes true," he convulsed to the girl. His obscene eyes looked over the delicious blonde. "There are many things that come to mind."

"Who are you, pervert?" Her fear was getting the best of her. "And what do you want?" The Anbu Captain couldn't do anything as she backed into a corner. She wasn't Captain for nothing! But something was stopping her.

"The name is Yuki, and my master's desire is your death."

* * *

I hope you like the chapter, and please review.

Send me what you think, and don't forget!

look down.

And by the way, i was eventual going to turn this in a SasNaru live story, but i will open up a poll. Send me any name of the person that you want Naruto to end up with and the person with the most votes will win Naruto's heart. It is open to anyone in the show, as long as they are alive in my story anyways. So email me the name of the person that you want to see Naruto-chan with. It can be anyone you want, and there is no one that you can not pick, so tell me who!!

Email me the name in a review or something.

Poor Naruto! Yuki is planning something that could destroy the Naruto we all love and care for. so stay toon.

* * *

6/05/08- chapter updated. I added things and other stuff. If you read the other updates then you would know what i did. That poll is close so bye!

* * *

8/12/08- I have updated this chapter, since one of the reviewers said I'm 'abusing' Fanfiction's rules, or something like that! If they think i'm abusing the rules, then he should read other stories, which have far worse grammar then i do!!


	5. But they are my friends!

Can I be my true self? A Naruto story.

I do not own Naruto, and we all know who does, so i will not say who...Okay, I will Masashi Kishimoto does.

Tell me what you think. I love it when people review so review!

I have updated more then once, so if there are more mistakes, i will go crazy!

I suck at grammar

* * *

Recap.

_A man with dark cinnamon spiky hair and beige eyes appeared in front of her. "My master didn't want me to reveal myself yet, but I think we can have some fun before his dream comes true," he convulsed to the girl. His obscene eyes looked over the delicious blonde. "There are many things that come to mind."_

_"Who are you, pervert?" Her fear was getting the best of her. "What do you want?" The Anbu Captain couldn't do anything as she backed into a corner. She wasn't Captain for nothing! But something was stopping her._

_"The name is Yuki, and my master's desire is your death."_

* * *

Chapter Five

But they are my Friends!

* * *

Part five

* * *

"Fat chance in that happening," Naruto said as she finally found her voice.

"He's not going to kill you just yet. We are going to have some fun for now." Yuki's smile disappeared in the fallen night sky.

Her hand first reached for a kunia, but she didn't have any weapons on her. Her hand instead found nothing as her hand smashed against her hip. The bitches (Sakura and Ino at that moment in Naruto's eyes) said it was unladylike to have weapons when wearing a dress. Naruto was beyond hatred with this dress, which she decided she would burn later, even if it was the last thing she would ever do. (Naruto didn't, however, hate how it made her look, but it was just too much trouble.) Being a woman sucked!

"Why does your master want me dead?" The kunoichi backed up as far as she could go against the wall.

"Your father."

"I never met my father!" She spited. "What does he had to do with this?"

"I will tell you, but not here!" Yuki snapped. He was never good with questions.

"Over my dead body. I'm not going anywhere with you!"

He smirked as he looked her over. Naruto had no weapons and there was nothing she could do to stop him, but the orange kunoichi was too clueless to know that. Yuki charged, and Naruto could only try to dodge. His fist went to her face and she butterfly blocked him. "You will be fun to play with."

Naruto strived backward, but her back thwacked against the wall. "What are you planning to do?" Yuki threw another pouch at her face, and the only thing that she could do was block. _This can't go on!_

"Stop with all the questions!" Yuki expected this fight to wake someone up but it seemed like the town couldn't careless. Did they not like the Yondaime's daughter? That didn't make sense. She was the daughter of their hero! Yuki did know about the fox, but why did that matter?

Naruto started to do hand signs. "No! You don't." He seized her hands. "Just give up. You have no weapons and you are backed up in corner." It was now or never for the Anbu Captain. She swung her leg, but he blocked it with his forearm. "This dress seems to slow down your movements."

_Another reason to abominate this evil dress! _Naruto thought. There was nothing she could do as he held her in place. "Shut-up!"

His beige eyes cut her apart as if she was butter and he was the knife. "Everything will be fine, my little fox." He whispered in her ear.

Fear ran down her spine. She couldn't put her finger on it, but there was something about this man that turned the hyperactive kunoichi into mush. "I.I a-am n-not your-," The sun-shined blonde stuttered. _I sound like Hinata now! Damn it! _It was rather noticeable. Damn it.

"We will just have to see about that, now don't we?" He hissed. His hand dropped to her inter leg.

One of her hands were free now. She pouched him in the face. "Don't touch me!"

"You shouldn't have done that." No one came after that scream._ What kind of town is this?_ He knocked out the blonde. "It's time to have some fun."

* * *

"It's a bit late." Godaime stated. She was pissed with all the paper work that she had to do. Paperwork was the only thing wrong with this job, and it was just too late to deal with this. Well truth be told, she wasn't in the mood to deal with this man at any time of the day.

"It's about the daughter of the Yondaime Hokage," the old council member revealed. He came to the Hokage Tower on behalf of all of the council members.

"What about her?" Lady Tsunade inquired. She knew it was never good, when council came to meet her at this time at night. It was bad, when it was about Naruto. That Gaki was like a daughter to her, and she wasn't going to forfeit her to these people of all people.

"We believe it is time that she takes her father's name as long as with a husband," the pewter haired man demanded.

"It's up to her, if she wants her father's name, and Naruto can choose a husband, whenever she feels it is time," the blonde snapped.

"It will help her a great deal, if she wants to be the Rokudaime."

There wasn't a word to describe how angry Tsunade was. The ground shook as she pushed up from her desk. "HOW DARE YOU!" The feeble old man backed up, knowing angering the hokage was a death wish. "First you pardon the Uchiha, and now you are demanding Naruto get married."

"We aren't demanding anything," he stated.

"The hell you are!" The Godaime picked up the nearest entity and heaved it at the council member. "I know what you are thinking."

"What are you talking about? Drinking too much sake again?" The old man asked, nursing his injured head. It was his fault for angering the woman. Never anger women! They will get you back!

"You want Naruto to marry that Uchiha."

"It will help both of them to achieve their goals."

Tsunade's killing intent could be felt through out Konoha. "Uchiha can find some other girl to bed. He has enough fan girls who would gladly do it." There was no way in hell that she was going to let the council get what they wanted…… There was so many ways that she could kill the council and no one would be the wiser.

"But no one could match Naruto Namikaze."

The council member just sealed his fate. "It's Uzumaki!"

"I see. You didn't tell her about her father, have you?"

Tsunade was so close in throwing her desk, but that would mean more work for her. She just wanted to go home. "No."

"When you tell her about her father, tell her about this conversation."

"No," she growled. "I think it would be best for you to leave, if you value your life."

"Just remember, Godaime. You are on thin ice." He sneered.

"I knew that since day one!" She growled.

* * *

Neji was the first to notice Naruto's disappearance. She did say she would be right back. Naruto wouldn't lie. She never goes back on her word. Naruto would die before breaking a promise. "Sai, Uchiha." Neji loathed the fact that the Sharingan User got off without punishment, but that wasn't going to stop him from giving it to him. "Where is Naruto?" His words could cut through stone.

"She must have gotten sick of you, Hyuga," Sasuke interjected.

"I think it was the other way around, Uchiha," Neji snapped back. The two had their genkai ready to fight.

"Does it matter? Let's just find her," the ex-root member said.

The three sets of eyes scanned the crowded restaurant. "I'm sure she just went home," Neji paused. "She must have said something when we were fighting."

"I hope you are right," responded Sai.

Naruto wasn't the kind of person to just disappear with out a word. She would have made sure that they heard her. His ruby crimson eyes couldn't find her, and Sasuke took off, not wanting to help them. He didn't care if they called him back or not, since he had no interest of losing her to them. He would find her, and she would be safe in his arms alone.

It was getting rather late, and there was still no sign of the dobe. She wasn't at her apartment, and it looked like she hadn't been there for hours. There wasn't any other place where she would be at that time. _The whole town is like a ghost town, and there is nothing wrong with that,_ Sasuke thought. It felt like fate was telling him something, and he got it loud and clear. It started to thunder and lightening as rain bombed Konoha. All the ex-missing could do was get out of the down pour. "I just hope you are okay, dobe and I'm just over thinking this." Too bad for the brunet, he was right on the money. He would know that in due time.

* * *

Naruto laid unconscious in a hyperborean steel chamber. It was a stingy grubby devoid room that gave off the feeling of total lost of oneself. A metal collar fitted snug around her neck. Her sable purse was no where in sight and her coral dress lost it's shine. Her eyes flicked, and the area around her started to take her. She forced her cerulean eyes open, and her muscles felt frozen as she pushed herself up. She could barely move as she placed her hands on the frigid bars.

"I have to get out of here," she tattled. She started hands signs, but a jolt ran through her petite body. Her screams could be heard for miles as she collapsed on the nippy ground. "What was that?" She cried. Her tanned hand found the collar around her neck, and she knew she was in trouble.

"You shouldn't use your chakra again, but you can, if you want another jolt," he chuckled to himself. His body came into view as he stood on the other side of the bars. His face told her there was no escape. This was the end for her.

Naruto could do nothing as she was married to the foundation. The kunoichi's body felt like stone, and she could only look at him. "Why am I here?" She asked.

"Your father."

"I don't even know who he was!" She managed to say.

Naruto didn't get the joke as Yuki busted out laughing. "You have no clue who he is or was?" This was just too good.

"…."

"And you call yourself an Anbu black Ops." He smirked, entering the jail and placed his cold hand on her Anbu tattoo. "You look so much like him."

Naruto didn't know what to make of this man. "Can you tell me who he is, before my friends come and save me?!" She cheeped, hoping this false emotion would give her some edge on the situation.

"What friends?" Yuki couldn't breathe, since he was laughing so much. "Your friends lied to you your whole life." This really was too good.

"Take that back!" It didn't take long for another jolt to fly thought her body. "Take that back," the blonde begged.

"You should stop trying to use chakra." Naruto couldn't move. "Did I forget to tell you that each time you use chakra, the jolt doubles in strength?"

"Sadist bastard," Naruto muttered. She didn't want to die this way... not yet at least!

"Yep," he responded. He picked up the girl without too much from a fight from her. "You never asked who you father is."

"Why would I ask you?"_ I did ask him, well kind of asked,_ she thought.

"Your father's to blame for all your suffering right now."

"You said your master wants me dead, but not now." He nodded as they left the cell. "Then why do you want me now?"

"What is with all the questions?" He snapped. Naruto felt her soul wept as he placed her on his bed. He secured her down and then he ran his hand through her hair. "So do you want to know who is or was your father?"

_I'm going to die. He has me tied down on a bed._ Tears fell from her cerulean eyes knowing what would happen next. Naruto tried with all her might to escape, but her blinding sent more jolts through her fragile body. "You…are…going…to…tell….me…any ways." Her voice was lost to her.

"Very true." He paused, glancing to his prize. "Your father is or was Minato Namikaze." Yuki growled as a confused kunoichi stared at him. "You have no idea who he is or was?" He rose from her side. "What are they teaching you in that village?" he hollered._ That village really is a fiasco! _"Do you know who the Yellow Flash is or was?"

Naruto was beyond perplexed. How did the Yellow Flash have anything with her father? "What does the Yondaime have to do with this?" She inquired. _What does my hero has to do with this? He's dead……He's dead just like my father,……but many people died that day!_

"Minato Namikaze is or was the Yellow Flash or rather the Yondaime Hokage."

"But…but you said my father was Minato Namikaze."

"Your father is or was the Yondaime Hokage."

Naruto was getting irritated with all these lies that this man was telling her. Yuki also kept saying 'is or was' and it was also getting annoying rather fast. Aside from that, Tsunade, Jiraiya, the old man or the Sandaime, and Kakashi would have told her about her father, right? "They would have told me, dattebayo," she cried. "You're lying."

Another bolt rain through her body, but it was much stronger then the last one. "You should watch what you're saying." He retrieved his spot next to her. "You are pretty stupid."

"Shut-up," she said. The orange kunoichi hated to be called stupid, but she had to pay the consequences. Another bolt ran through her body. _I'm not going to make it out of here alive. Just kill me now, please!_

"I said it before and now I will repeat it. You should watch what you say." He smirked. He looked down at her face. "Did you ever wonder why you looked so much like him? You both have cerulean eyes and the same sun kissed blonde hair."

_It would make sense. Ero-Sennin had pointed out that I looked like him. He also trained the Yondaime and now me. I do look like him. It makes so much sense, but why did no one ever why tell me? Why did he seal the fox in his own daughter?_ Naruto couldn't take it anymore, and she cried a river. "Why?"

"You were never loved by the town. The only person who cared about you was your father, well, I can't be too sure about that, and now that he's dead."

"My friends. They would have told me, if they knew."

"They do know." He rolled atop of her. "I wouldn't call them friends, though. They loved Minato and you are some gaki that took him away."

_Obaa-chan, Ero-Sennin, Kakashi-sensei, and the old man, even if he is dead, all was there for me, even if it took some convincing._" If they hate me, then why did they save me from the darkness?" The blonde inquired. The removal of clothes added to the fear that was killing the vessel of the Nine Tailed Fox. Naruto yearned to call fore the fox, but it was sealed farther down inside her. _Do they only care about the fox? Am I nothing to them?_ "It can't be true," she begged for him to be wrong. "They saved me."

"You are just a weapon to them," Yuki said as he looked down to his prize. She laid naked underneath him, and he knew she was broken. "This should be fun, and don't worry I will be gentle." She was innocent, just the way he liked it.

"Please stop, I don't want my first time to be like this," she begged. She tried to get away, but what would be the point? She meant nothing to her friends._ I'm just a chore to them._ Another shock ran throw her body as Yuki became completely naked.

"Watch what you say and do," he demanded. She was everything he ever wanted. "Shall we get started? I want to play with you, forever."

* * *

I hope you like the chapter, and please review. I like good and bad reviews.

Send me what you think, and don't forget!

I still am taking names if you wanted to submit a name of the person you want Naruto-chan to end up with.

please and thank you!

Poor Naruto-chan! She lost all faith in her friends and loved ones and now Yuki is going to take something away that Naruto-chan can never get back!

* * *

6/05/08- chapter updated. you can't submit any names now, but you can still send me you ideas!.

* * *

8/12/08- I have updated this chapter, since one of the reviewers said I'm 'abusing' Fanfiction's rules, or something like that! If they think i'm abusing the rules, then he should read other stories, which have far worse grammar then i do!!... I'm starting to agree with them!

* * *


	6. Killing intent!

* * *

Can I be my true self? A Naruto story.

* * *

I go so many questionsa about what was going to happen to Naruto, so i worked my but off to get this chapter out today.

I would love it, if you could review! Good or bad.

Please and thank you

O, yea. **I do not own Naruto. **

I believe you alll will be happy with this chapter!!- Enjoy

* * *

Chapter Six

Killing intent!

* * *

Part six

* * *

Sasuke, Sai, and Neji didn't sleep well as a certain blonde kunoichi was missing. Each guy was also wanted to beat the other in finding Naruto, but they also wanted to know why she vanished. Each shinobi went in their own direction hoping that the shine sun blonde would walk into them. There was nothing that would point to where the orange kunoichi was, but one wasn't so lucky.

It was early dawn, when the ex-root member came across a tiny coal purse. After some studying, the brunet figured out there was a fight here. Sai deduced that Naruto must had fought in it. _If that is true, then where is Naruto? _Sai headed to the Hokage Tower. _Naruto, please tell me that you didn't get yourself caught in this._ Sai didn't notice Neji and Sasuke calling his name as he rushed pass them. It was doubtful that he would stop, even if he did heard them. The ninjas blustered as he passed them in the Tower. Pausing at the hokage's door, Sai could feel how choleric the Godaime was. He had no choice as he pushed the door open. He had to save Naruto.

"You better have a good reason," the hokage growled. Tsunade had been at that same spot for the whole night doing paperwork. It was pretty sad, but it was her fault, since sake was her best friend. "I don't have time for this!"

"Naruto is missing," Sai stated. These bonds were sometimes more hassle then pleasure, but the brunet would do anything for the blonde kunoichi.

Sai said the magic words. Tsunade would do anything for her 'daughter,' but Tsunade didn't want to get worked up for nothing. The cerulean eyed shine sun blonde went missing sometimes to think. It was nothing new, but the look on the ex-root member's face told her otherwise. "Why would you say that?" She asked.

"She went missing last night at dinner, and we couldn't find her anywhere. This morning I went looking for her, and I found her black purse next to a battle site," he riposted. Tsunade's gradation faded as Sai stated his facts. "Neji, Sasuke, and I had no luck in finding the baka. It's like she vanished in thin air, or-"

"Or she has been kidnapped." Tsunade finished for him. "How could this have happened?" Her killing intent could have killed someone alone.

"I know. You would think that someone would have heard it."

"Someone must had, but no one would have helped her," Godaime snapped. "Sometimes I wonder why I even help this village!" The blonde seized the closest thing to her, which was her chair and catapulted it out the window. She couldn't understand why the village still loathed Naruto, after all what Naruto did for it.

Sai didn't listen as the Hokage went on and on about how she was going to kill every single villager as well as every council member in Konoha. Why was she here again? Why was she the hokage? O yea, it was because of the very loud mouth that was missing, since the village left her to die! What kind of thanks was that for the hero of this town? Tsunade summoned some ANBU to get her the two Hyugas, Ino, Sakura, Shikamaru, Kiba, and to her repugnance the Uchiha. Tsunade was never going to forgive and forget what that Traitor did to her Naruto. She wanted to cut off his manhood and feed it to him, and then he would never achieve his aspiration.

The Godaime wasted no time in filling in the ninjas when they arrived. "Shikamaru is in charge. I don't want you to come back without Naruto," she finished the scroll on her desk and connected it to an eagle. The eagle took off through the broken window.

"Hai," the ninjas replied.

"I sent a message to Suna, just to let you know." Tsunade went to sit down, but it took her seconds before she realized her chair found a nice spot outside. The search team started to leave, when the hokage turned to the raven. "Remember Uchiha, you are on thin ice. You just better behave yourself or else." The older blonde demanded.

"Hn." The raven didn't care what the imbecilic blonde thought. He didn't care anything about the hokage. She was just a figure head, and it didn't matter what she thought. The council was in charge, and their's thought were the ones that matter. The Godaime knew this, and Sasuke was sure of this, but that didn't matter right now.

What was important was saving his dobe and torturing the bastard that dare think that he could touch something that belong to an Uchiha. What was an Uchiha's stays an Uchiha's, and there was nothing that could change it. He got what he wanted. The raven followed the group. Uchiha dislike his team, even if this was not _his_ team.

Tsunade didn't like how the Uchiha answered her. She wanted to kill him, but the fatuous imbecilic council could banish her, if she touched one hair on the raven's head. "I really loathed that shinobi," she stated.

"You shouldn't think that way," Jiraiya replied as he came through the splintered window. Missing one arm caused the toad sage to slip onto the hard floor, which the Godaime would've laughed, if this was any other time.

"We must agree," Kakashi answered as Yamato helped him bring in the cerulean chair that found a home outside.

"I must add that you should watch what you throw," Yamato added, rubbering the back of his head. "You could've killed someone."

"Too lousy, it didn't hit a council member," Lady Tsunade cried. The two shinobi placed the chair down, and Jiraiya stood next to them in line as they faced the indignant Godaime Hokage. "I take it you three want to go look for Naruto as well."

"Hai," they responded.

"Fine, but I can't send any more ninjas. I wish I could, but can't. I also wish I could get her back myself, but I can't leave Konoha… Kill those bastards that did this to Naruto!" She growled. No one could walk way alive after they hurt her 'family'.

"Hai." The three shinobi disappeared in a 'puff' of smoke.

"Please, Naruto, Be safe." Sake was the only thing that could keep the Hokage in check with her anger. Trust me, it would be a bad idea to take it away from her!

* * *

If you think angering the Godaime Hokage was bad, try the Godaime Kazekage. You better run in the other direction. His choleric voice could be heard throughout Suna as he seized the scroll from Lady Tsunade. No one dared to go near the flaming Gaara. Temari and Kankuro stood there not wanting to get killed from the Kazekage as he strode passed them. Lucky for them an unexpecting Anbu from Suna was the first to speak. "I don't think the council would like it, if you left the village."

Needless to say, the unlucky shinobi laid unconscious on the frigid floor. Temari and Kankuro didn't articulate anything as they blindly followed the Godaime Kazekage to the front gates. Four Anbu followed their leader knowing that was the only thing that they could do. "You six better keep up." Gaara ordered.

There was no need for them to respond, since the red hair would not answer them back. Everyone, who was not imbecilic, knew that the Kazekage cared rather deeply for a certain cerulean eyed blonde. This caused problems half, well most, of the time, but Suna was glad and thankful for the blonde. Naruto had opened up the red hair shinobi's heart for love. She did something for him, and now he would do anything for her, the woman of his dreams, since now he was able to sleep.

The four Anbu created a square around their leader, and his family stood at his sides slightly back. This wall of protection was perfect as nothing could be left unnoticed as they rushed pass. They were only focusing on one person as many things watched them as they passed, but they did comprehend that they were there. _Naruto, you are unbeatable, so what happened? It doesn't matter. I won't let anything happen to you._ Gaara thought as afternoon passed them bye. _Just hold on for me._

The ninjas from Konoha weren't going to give up as it started to get late. They could only think of one thing right now, and that was a hyperactive blonde that could never be forgotten.

The younger eight shinobi and kunoichi took a quick rest, but Kakashi, Yamato, and Jiraiya didn't even let that thought across their minds. Naruto was the most important thing, or rather the only thing, on their minds right now. They decided to split up, since they would cover more acres that way.

After some time, Kakashi felt that someone else was there, and his killing intent could have skinned a cow. "Come out now!" The Copy Cat ninja ordered as he rearranged his hitai-ate to show his crimson eye. The leafs began to move, and the wind started to pick up as the strange enemy ninja changed his position in the darkness. "I don't have time for this."

"Neither do I," the enemy's voice called out from the shadow.

"Show yourself!" The Konoha Shinobi demanded yet again.

"As you wish." A man with dark cinnamon spiky hair and beige eyes downgraded from a tree. "Yuki's my name." Kakashi stepped back from him. "You don't remember me do you?" He chuckled. "Or maybe you do?"

Kakashi stood ready in his battle pose. "You are a missing ninja from Iwagakure that I faced when I was 11." _The same time that Obito and Minato-sensei were alive,_ the jouin thought. "Why are you here?"

"How can you say that to an old friend?" He inquired, pretending to be hurt.

"Answer the damn question!" The choleric Kakashi demanded. It was never a good idea to upset the copy cat ninja. It was a death wish when you acted like this!

"What's the famous Hatake going to do? Use his sharingan on me?"

"Shut-up or else. I'm not in the mood!"

"If you keep picking fights, you will never save Naruto," he stated.

That one name sealed Yuki's fate. "What did you do to her?"

"Nothing really. She was tortured senseless. I had to stop before we could start her final act with me, since I sensed someone coming." He chuckled, since he was so close in making the blonde his, but no he was stopped before he could do anything.

"What act was that?" Kakashi prayed that it was not the one thing he was thinking about at that very second. _Naruto will never be the same, if that man raped her, _he thought. She wouldn't be able to handle anything else.

"Sex is just a beautiful thing, but don't worry. We didn't do it yet, but once I get done with you, I will go back to her." His voice was getting annoying. "I will make her mine. I will have her screaming my name!"

"I will kill you, for thinking about her in that way. Naruto doesn't need your filthy vile hands on her," He snapped rather loudly. _How dare he touch her! _He had to save her. He would have to face Yuki to do that. There was no way around that.

"Do I sense jealous on your part?" Yuki smirked as he lost it. "You like her. Awwww! That's so cute." He put on a face.

"Shut-up, so I can kill you already." Kakashi was ready to kill.

"I hear no denial, so I'm guess right. You like her more then you should."

"Shut it. You're a sadistic bastard!" Kakashi growled. No one touched one of his students and got away with it, but no one, I mean no one, hurt his blonde and got away with it. "I'm sick of your mouth, Yuki. You should've died the same day that Obito did." _I will revenge you, my dear old friend. How did Yuki escape from Minato-Sensei?_ Kakashi asked himself.

"I forgot about your old teammate, but don't worry. You will join him soon." The two man went all out as they held nothing back. "Tell him, I said hi."

"I would say that to you, but you aren't going to the same place!" Kakashi growled as he started to do hand signs.

* * *

Naruto found herself in the same nippy steel chamber as before. The evil pink dress was back on the blonde again, and the blonde couldn't be happier, but she felt dirty anyway. She curled up in the corner with her head on her knees. It was true he left her before he could rape her, but he still laid his eyes on her naked body and other things. She just wanted to cry and never stop. Why was her life a living hell?

The collar was still around her neck, but it didn't stop her from planning a way out of this place. _But what can I do now? Why did Yuki leave? _The blonde kunoichi pushed her injured body off the hard floor and limped to the bars. She couldn't hold herself up as she fell on the door of the cage. The next thing she knew she was back on the frigid steel floor. Yuki left the door unlocked.

_Please, don't be a trap!_

She begged in her mind. She limped out of the cell and up the reprobate stairs. She, somehow, found her way out of the Yuki's hide out. The nippy cold weather hit her like a bomb, and she fell against a tree. She never felt this way before. She felt like barely alive.

_Someone is coming._

She paused as she limped farther to the person. She was going to die, if she didn't head that way. She had no other choice._ There are more then one! There are seven……Wait. It couldn't be….Gaara._ She pushed her useless body forward as the incoming bodies came closer._ Why is he out of Suna?_ There was no way that she was going to question it.

She broke the impossible as she pushed her body forward. She tried again to use Chakra, but it wasn't without consequence. She screamed out bloody murder! There was no way in hell that her body would last another jolt. She pushed her body harder, when she saw crimson hair. She jumped against the warm body and the other six bodies stopped. They glanced at the injured blonde. "Gaara," she cried.

"Naruto, what's happened?" His voice seemed calmer then Naruto thought possible. "Who did this to you?" He inquired.

"Get this off of me," she begged. Gaara was able to use his sand to rip the collar off of the Konoha blonde. The collar soon shifted into sand after that. "I can't stand anymore. It hurts too much." She wailed a river.

Without another word from the wounded girl, Kazekage picked her up bridal style. "What happened to you?" He repeated the question.

"Yuki," She uttered on the edge of complete darkness.

_"_What did he do to you?" asked Temari as Kankuro stood there with the Anbu.

"He…" Naruto blacked out.

"Naruto!" The three sibling bellowed. They prayed she would be alright, but they weren't going to chance it. She needed medical attention. They each, however, was thinking of ways of how they were going to kill this Yuki guy for touching the blonde. It would end with his death.

* * *

I hope my readers are happy. Naruto-chan was going to be raped. I planed on it, but thanks to your reviews, you saved her, so don't forget that. I take reviews to heart! I hope you like it, and i worked my ass off, so i could answer your wishes. So please review. I love reviews. It makes me feel special. BTY, if you see any grammar mistakes, tell me, but remember i was half asleep when i proved read this!

Don't forget i am still taking names! And if you have any questions, ask me. I will answer them the best i can.

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6/05/08- chapter updated. thanks for reading! The poll is closed.

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8/12/08- I have updated this chapter, since one of the reviewers said I'm 'abusing' Fanfiction's rules, or something like that! If they think i'm abusing the rules, then he should read other stories, which have far worse grammar then i do!!... I'm starting to agree with them!


	7. Lights of our Hearts

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Can I be my true self? A Naruto story.

I do not own Naruto, and we all know who does!!

This chapter is the same lenght of two chapters, so i hope you are all happy. This is over 4, 000 words unlike the other chapters that are 2, 500 words!

I might not update as fast as I usually do over the summer, so I wanted to know.

Thanks for all the reviews, and i wish for more. So Review. I love it when people reviews, and if you have any questions or anything just message me. I hope my grammar is okay, since Grammar was never my best subject, and if some one want to my my beta reader message me!

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Chapter 7

Light of our Hearts

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Part seven

* * *

The group of eight ninjas split into two groups of four. Shikamaru, Sasuke, Hinata, and Sakura went in one direction. Kiba, Sai, Neji, and Ino took off in another direction. Neji secured the command as they charged rapidly forward. The day was getting late as the teams searched on.

Time didn't matter, since each heart wouldn't stop until they got back the light of their world. Nothing matter more than Naruto, since she meant more to them than anyone could describe. She was the fire that would remain strong in rain and be seen through the darkness. With Naruto's disappearance, the lights that she started would vanish. Sometimes it was harder to distinguish who needed who more, but of course Naruto warranted her friends more then ever. She was in more then physical peril, but also in emotional jeopardy, but no one in the search party knew that right now. They also didn't know that they were rapidly losing the sun shine in their lives that took the form of a blonde kunoichi.

Ino, Kiba, Neji, and Sai took off, praying that Naruto would hold on until they got there. They had no idea who took her, but they knew that they couldn't take any risks. Akamaru and Kiba took the lead. Reconnaissance was harder on the team than what they expected as they looked for the loudmouth ninja. They thought that they would at least hear Naruto, but it was too quiet. There wasn't one sound in the forest.

The only thing that moved was the leafs as the weather blew through them. The only thing that made a sound was the search team. The light was soon disappearing. The world started to evanesce, when one name was screaked throughout the land. "NARUTO." It wasn't the other team, but they did hear the voices before.

"What do you guys think?" Kiba asked.

"The voices sounded worried, so we should check it out," Neji answered. The older member of the team would do anything for Naruto. One thought played over and over in his head: _this is all my fault_. Neji blamed himself, since he didn't notice Naruto leave at dinner. He was too focused on the two idiots, Sai and Sasuke, in front of him. He blamed them also, but it was his fault for letting himself get dragged into the fight.

"Hai," they all responded as they pushed themselves harder. They entered the clearing to see Kazekage and six Suna ninja, but their eyes stopped at the figure in his arms. Naruto laid unconscious, not knowing how many hearts broke at the sight of her in this state. They all looked at each other unsure of what move would be best.

Ino, medical ninja, was the first to move as she maneuvered to the unconscious Naruto. "Let me see her," Ino demanded in a reasonable voice. Ino was a good medical kunoichi, but she was in no way as good as Sakura. Gaara placed Naruto on the ground, and Ino let her glowing hands fly over the sun kiss blonde. "That's all I can do."

"We most get her back to Konoha," Neji interjected.

"Why? Your village done nothing but hurt Naruto!" Gaara hissed. His shinobi stood back from the indignant Kazekage as he scooped up Naruto.

"It won't happen again," Sai promised as if he had control over it.

"Naruto has a right to choose," Neji said.

"I agree, but what if she gets hurt again?" asked Temari. Each heart rode faster as the two groups made no movements.

"She loves Konoha, and there is no reason not to take her home," Kiba said.

"Your village treats her like trash," Gaara vociferated.

"Enough!" Ino blustered. As the sound around her died, her voice threaten all. It didn't matter what rank a ninja was, they dared not go against a medical ninja, when she was taking care of a patient. "We need to meet up with the others, well mostly Sakura. She's a better medical ninja than I. Naruto's life is still in danger, and we need to hurry."

No one dared to speak against the kunoichi, when it was the health of the orange kunoichi. "Let me carry Naruto," said Sai before the other Konoha shinobi could request, _and_ they all wanted to.

"She's fine in my care," Kazekage snapped. This brought up more ferocious words as each side wanting the other to go away.

"Enough!" Ino blustered again as she put her hands on her hips. "We don't have time to fight. We just need to get Naruto to Sakura."

"Hai," they all responded, even though none of the 'hai' sounded the same. Some were happy, some were whatever, and others were agitated.

* * *

The other team didn't find too much as they ran into Jiraiya, who wasn't as fast as Kakashi and Yamato. The four turned into five, but that didn't slow them down.

Shikamaru was in the lead, since he was the in charge or command. It didn't matter as long as it made the Uchiha mad. At first, Shikamaru didn't show any interest in the raven, but things changed. It didn't help that Sasuke was only cold to them, and he would do anything to show up the rest of the team, so Shikamaru had to thrust Sasuke off his high horse every few minutes. This job was too much for the lazy shinobi, but he wouldn't give up.

He would do anything to save Naruto for many different reasons. One, Naruto meant a lot to the village. Two, She meant a lot to him. Three, Temari, this girlfriend of four years, would kill him, if he left anything happen to Naruto. Naruto saved Temari's brother, so Naruto was like family. Heck, they both had blonde hair. Naruto would fit right in the family. Four, Gaara scared him, so it would be better not to anger him. Five, Tsunade would kill him, if her 'daughter' was injured in some way. Six, heck, there was a lot of people who would kill him, if Naruto was injured. Shikamaru didn't want to see the end result if something were to happen to Naruto.

Sasuke was pissed. No wait, he was ferocious. Why was a great Uchiha, like himself, taking orders from a lazy ass ninja? Did he not understand that the dobe was in Jeopardy? No, he didn't. If Shikamaru did, he would let Sasuke take charge, or at least listen to him, but no, the lazy good for nothing Shinobi (well in Sasuke's eyes) shot him down before he even opens his mouth!

Sasuke made a mental note of all the people he wanted to kill with his own hands. Sai was at the very top. There was no one, in Sasuke's eyes, who needed to be discipline more. Neji was second. Tsunade was next. There was something about her that made him want to scream and pull out his hair! Shikamaru followed next. Sasuke was sure that, when the team was separated into two group, Shikamaru made sure that Sasuke never left his sight. Shikamaru was doing this just to torture him!… The list was just too long to write down. Everyone was on the list, so if you weren't, then there was something wrong with you. _His _dobe was even on the list sometimes. Sasuke groaned as he was forced to follow the toad sage and the lazy ass shinobi.

Sakura and Hinata only wanted to find Naruto, even if they wished that Sasuke was part of the other team. Sakura wanted to keep her distance from her old teammate, since Lee didn't like the Uchiha in any way. She just wanted to get this done, so she could go back to her plan of hooking Naruto and Sasuke up. Sakura prayed that Naruto would be alright, since her plan counted on that.

She sighed as tension rose in the group. Shikamaru and Sasuke should never again be put on the same team! It was like trying to drink water from a rock! So how could there be teamwork with them two? Yeah, it was implausible. So who's idea was that again?

Hinata also hoped that her closest friend, Naruto, was fine, but she had a feeling that told her otherwise. She wished that she was in the arms of her boyfriend of a year and Naruto was eating ramen like she loved to do. Hinata didn't understand why or how Naruto could be taken and no one knew about it! How could that happen in Konoha, a peaceful loveable village? Why couldn't the villagers see past the Nine tail fox and see Naruto? Can't they see what the girl had done from the village? Naruto would die for the Konoha, why couldn't they see that?

The sound of metal could be heard for miles around! The group of five pushed harder and found themselves at a battle sight. The ground was broken and tattered. The trees had broken branches, and some were fallen, but the two fighter only paid attention to the other. The two bodies could be seen as they flew back. Around them, kunia and other ninja's tools lay around.

Kakashi was tired beyond reason as his Sharingan sapped most of his energy. His clothes were dirty and sweaty, but the Copy Cat Shinobi wouldn't let anything stop him. The other Shinobi, even though he wasn't wearing anything to show it, was equally tired, but the man with dark cinnamon spiky hair and beige eyes pushed himself to stand. "Kakashi," Jiraiya articulated.

Kakashi turned around to see the group of five, but he turned back to the quaint man in front of him. "Yuki, where is Naruto?" He demanded which caused many whats behind. A new set of the Sharingan glared down the man, and there was nothing to stop Sasuke from cutting Yuki down. "Sasuke, don't move." Kakashi ordered as he sense this. He wouldn't let Sasuke attack this man just yet.

"Give me one good reason not to kill this man!" Sasuke vociferated. This man touched his dobe, there was no way that Yuki was going to walk away alive.

"If you kill him, we won't find Naruto," Shikamaru injected before anyone else could. Sasuke glared at Shikamaru once more, but Shikamaru smirked.

"What makes you think that I will tell you where Naruto is?" Yuki sneered as he looked at the Konoha Shinobi. He was out numbered now, but he didn't show that he cared that he was. Yuki had to find a way out of this mess.

"You will tell us!" Sasuke demanded.

"Calm down, Uchiha," Jiraiya ordered. The Toad Sage glanced at the group behind him. There had to be something that they could do. They had a Sharingan, a Byakugan, a Medical Ninja, and a super brain. There had to be something that they could do with all of that power. "We have to make a plan," he whispered.

A kunia came flying at the group of six, but it was blocked by an other kunia. "Where did that come from?" Sakura asked. That kunia didn't come from Yuki.

"And who blocked it?" Hinata inquired. She quickly found the two outsiders with her Byakugan. "Come out!" She hollered, which was rather loud for her.

"Calm down," Yamato said as he downgraded to the ground. "I blocked the one that this guy's partner hurtled at you guys."

Yuki didn't even look back as a onyx cloaked man jumped down behind him. "What are you doing here, Ryu?" He queried. Yuki and Ryu never got along, and this infuriated their Master. There were like children.

Ryu was a built lean dark red hair man, who loved to tick off Yuki. (Ryu was wearing a mask, so no one saw his face.) He loved to play with Yuki in other words. It would drive anyone insane.

"I knew you would mess up, so I decided to tail you." Ryu chuckled.

"Shut-up!" Yuki spited.

"Just tell us where Naruto is?" Kakashi demanded. He had enough of their childhood behavior.

"No," Yuki answered.

Sasuke had to be hold back by Yamato. "Why did you take her in the first place?" Sasuke questioned. _He's just lucky that Yamato is holding me back! Yuki and now Ryu would be died, if I could move,_ the Uchiha thought.

"Revenge," Ryu answered for Yuki. This only infuriated Yuki more, but Ryu only chuckled more. They acted very childish around each other.

"What did Naruto ever do to you?" Sakura inquired.

"It is what her father did!" Yuki answered before Ryu. Yuki, unbalance on his feet thanks to Kakashi, had to lean against Ryu, which only made Ryu smirk.

"What does her father have anything to do with this?" asked Shikamaru, who was putting the pieces together.

"The best way to get revenge on someone is to kill their family, but since her father is dead, his daughter will pay the price." Ryu said, since Yuki couldn't articulate.

"What did her father ever do to you?" questioned Sasuke.

Kakashi couldn't believe what was happening. How did they found out that Naruto was the daughter of his Sensei? It was inconceivable. That was a S-class secret, damn it. _Shit, what would happen, if Naruto finds out that her father is the Yondaime Hokage from this man? It would break her, most likely! I can't let that happen to her. I care about her too much, for that to happen_… _Damn it!_ "How did you find that out?"

"It wasn't that hard. Any one with a brain could figure it out! I also have my ways also." Yuki chucked out. He wasn't lying. He had his ways.

Shikamaru's eyes widen when he figured it out. Naruto had shine kissed hair with azure eyes just like a certain person. Even though she wasn't the only blonde in Konoha, her blonde hair was the brightest. Also, Jiraiya taught her, when there were so many other people, who would've been better for that position! The Nine Tailed Fox was sealed into her, when there had to be so many others. _It all fits_. She looked so much like him. "Naruto's the daughter of the Yondaime. She's the daughter of Konoha's Yellow flash."

The two missing ninjas laughed their heads off as the Konoha Shinobi, well not Jiraiya, Kakashi, and Yamato, stared mouths opened at Shikamaru. "It's about time someone figure it out," Yuki muttered.

"What are you taking about, Shikamaru?" Sakura inquired. "That doesn't make sense. Kakashi, Jiraiya, he's wrong, right? He has to be!"

"No," they answered. Sakura couldn't compute how that could be true. How could any father sentence his daughter to a cruel life like that? Fathers are suppose to protect their daughters not hurt them and toss them to the wolves! Why did he have to hurt Naruto like that? Naruto was all alone, because of that man, who was suppose to be her father! That didn't compute with Sakura! That was inconceivable. Her father wouldn't do that. So could any father do that?

"But…...," she started.

"We can talk about this later," Jiraiya interrupted her. He was very serious, and he had no interest in answering all of their questions. "Where's Naruto? And why do you want revenge against the Yondaime?"

"What is with all of questions?" Yuki bellowed, which make Ryu step back.

"Right in my ears, baka!" Ryu whined. Yuki gave him a shut-up-you-baka-if-you-value-your-life look. "It's more of our master, who wants revenge."

"Don't worry we will take care of Naruto, unlike her so-called friends." Yuki teased. He was having too much fun.

"Why do you say that?" Sasuke snapped.

"You told her, don't you?" Kakashi uttered. _Shit, Naruto shouldn't have found out like that. She should have hear it from us not this guy, who wants to rape her! Naruto. How did she take it?_ Kakashi was going to kill this man slowly.

"Hai, and she took it rather hard," Yuki told them. Yuki was having too much fun, even though he was wounded and he should be in bed recovering. "It broke her heart that her friends lied to her all these years." Life was great for Yuki.

"Yuki, we better go," Ryu commented. Their killing intentions were growing.

"Hn," Yuki responded.

"You aren't going anywhere!" Kakashi hissed.

"But I want to go play with my prize again!" Yuki whined.

"If you touch her, I will kill you!" Sasuke threaten. No one touched his dobe and got away with it. The dobe was his, and no one was going to take that from the raven. Naruto was the only thing in Sasuke's life that he wasn't willing to give up. Naruto was what made his life worth living. Naruto was the reason why the raven came back to Konoha. Naruto was Sasuke's light. If anyone tried to take Naruto from Sasuke, they would be dead. "Bastard, what did you do to her?"

"I'm not answering anymore questions. Ryu and I have to go." Yuki replied. The masked man threw down a smoke bomb, which somehow blocked the Sharingan and Byakugan. The smoke evaporated and there was no sign of the missing ninjas. It was like they were never there.

"Shit!" Sasuke vociferated. "How could we let them get away?" He smashed his fist against the hard earth. "Shit. We are never going to find Naruto!" If he was anyone else, he would have cried, but his Uchiha pride wouldn't let him.

"Sasuke," Yamato started. "We will find her."

"No, we won't! She's gone, and I never got to tell her. I never got to tell her." Sasuke's face was hidden. _I never got to tell her that I love her!_ "She's gone."

"She's not dead," Sakura said. She went down to him. "We will find her." Hinata stood back with Shikamaru as they watched the whole thing. Yamato, not really doing anything, looked to Kakashi and Jiraiya. Jiraiya's eyes never left the spot where Yuki and Ryu vanished from. Kakashi never moved from his position on the ground. "Kakashi, Jiraiya, tell Sasuke everything will be okay."

"I wish I could, but I can't," answered the Toad Sage. He was dying as he said those words. He didn't want to lose his 'daughter.' Naruto had won a spot in his heart. She became like a daughter to him. He hated when things like this happened. First, he lost Minato. Now, he lost Naruto. "There is nothing we can do." He paused. "Yuki's eyes told us that."

"No! Kakashi, please tell me he's wrong," Sakura begged. Tears started to flow.

"I can't! I was with Yuki longer then you were. The things he was saying……If you only knew." Kakashi couldn't repeat them. He lost the most important person in his life. He lost another person yet again. How many people was he going to lose?

"I won't believe it!" Sakura wailed. Naruto has become one of her closest friends. Naruto was sometimes, well most of the times, annoying, but life was better with her in it. "Naruto's okay. She has to be." She fell to her knees.

"Sakura," Hinata began. "Sakura." What could she say? Life wouldn't be the same without the blonde.

"Why is everyone so down, forehead?"

"Ino. Please don't," Sakura begged.

"What's wrong? You guys are acting like someone had just died." Kiba said.

"Kiba." Shikamaru started. "Na….." He started, but he never finish. Temari tackled him. "Temari? Why are you here?"

"What no hi for me, your girlfriend?" Temari pulled back from her boyfriend. "What kind of greeting is that?" She smirked, but stopped as she looked around. "What's wrong?"

"Naruto…" Hinata started.

"That reminds me," Ino interrupted. "Sakura, I need you to look over Naruto." That one name caused all to stare at her. "What?" She paused. "It looked like someone died again." She paused again. "I healed her the best I can." Ino pointed to Gaara, who people had just notice. Their eyes left him and went to Naruto in his arms.

"Naruto!" The first group cried. Sakura quietly explained what went down or what she knew only to get a worried looks from the other group.

"Lets set up camp," Hinata said.

Sakura, Ino, Hinata, and Temari were in one tent taking care of an unconscious blonde, well the guys glared at each other outside. Gaara and his Suna Shinobi faced opposite of the Konoha Shinobi. Yamato, Kakashi, and Jiraiya stood opposite of the medical tent. They formed a square with the tent. Each dancing on the inside that they got Naruto back, but they were still worried for the blonde's health.

"We don't need you here," Sasuke snapped at Gaara.

"Uchiha, I will decide when I leave," The Kazekage hissed back. He leaned against a tree with his arms folded. "I have to see Lady Tsunade any ways."

Sasuke looked away. "Kakashi, do you know who that guy was?" Sasuke added.

"I first met Yuki before the Yondaime and Obito were dead. I have no idea who he's working for." Kakashi answered. "Yuki was part of the group that was responsible for Obito's death."_ Now, Naruto's in danger. I won't let anything happen to her._

"All we know is that their Master wants revenge against Minato Namikaze." Jiraiya looked up to see confused looks from all the ninjas around him._ I have to tell them._ "Keep what ever is said here to yourselves, O right. Minato Namikaze was the Yondaime Hokage and Konoha's yellow Flash." Jiraiya answered.

"Why does he have to do with Naruto?" Sai asked.

_"_Yondaime is or was Naruto's father," Shikamaru answered. "We will need to inform the Hokage, but we will have to hear the rest from Naruto."

"Yondaime being Naruto's father makes sense," Kiba commented. So many things made sense, when the whole gang added up the clues.

"We will have to protect Naruto," injected Sai.

"I can protect Naruto all by myself," Sasuke hissed. All eyes were on him. "I don't need any help from you people." _I can take care of my dobe by myself._

"Shut-up, Uchiha," Neji snapped. "No one cares about what you think."

"Hn."_ No one cares about what you think._ Sasuke glared at him.

Kakashi could only sigh with Yamato and Jiraiya. The young Shinobi started to fight, and even the Kazekage was dragged into it, and sometimes only to be calmed down from his Anbu black Ops. Inside the tent was better in the sense that it was quiet, but Naruto's condition was getting worse. They would need to leave first thing in the morning and hope they get to Tsunade fast enough. The three medical kunoichi did all that they could do for the blonde.

Kakashi entered the tent, and taking notice, the four kunoichi left to join the mess outside. He kneed down next to Naruto and ran his fingers through her hair.

"You better not die on me. I don't think I could handle another death, especially if it's the most important person in my life." He sighed. "I wish I could have you, but the age difference is just too great." If only we could be together. He smiled. "I will just have to watch you be happy with Sasuke. I can't see you with any other guy. I would die, if you were with Gaara, since you would move to Suna to be with him. Sai. I don't want you anywhere near that guy. I never know if he's faking or being truthful. Neji is okay, but he believes too much in fate." There were so many choices, since Naruto had a large fan club, but the names listed were the most likely to win her heart.

Naruto laid still on the ground with her chest moving all so slowly up and down. She was shocked, which could have been seen by Kakashi. There was no way in telling what others thing that Yuki did to her. All the Copy Cat Ninja knew was that he was going to kill Yuki slowly.

He was glad however that Yuki didn't rape Naruto, since that was something that she would never bounce back from. Not telling her who was her father might break her, though. What would break her would be hearing it from Yuki. "I'm so sorry that _I_ never told you about Minato." He paused. "I should have." He kissed her on the forehead and headed out of the tent.

* * *

I hope you like it, and Naruto's man, i will keep who it is secret, so you will have to read to find out, and i won't change the character filter until it is revealed, Okay! But it might not be change, so stay toon.

Just remember Review!!

* * *

6/05/08 updated.

* * *

8/12/08- I have updated this chapter, since one of the reviewers said I'm 'abusing' Fanfiction's rules, or something like that! If they think i'm abusing the rules, then he should read other stories, which have far worse grammar then i do!!... I'm starting to agree with them!


	8. You promise?

* * *

Can I be my true self? A Naruto story.

We all know who knows Naruto, and we all know it is not me.

This chapter is pretty long but not as long as the last chapter. I hope you like. Thanks for all the reviews last time, and please review some more. I think some of you will like this chapter.

Remeber i won't be updating as fast, since my mother does not have internet at her house, which is where i will be staying for the summer. I will try to update, so i will just have to find some internet. It would be easier if, i still had a car, but no one in my family can drive, but me, and they break my car. (crying) It was my first car too!!

Enjoy.

* * *

Chapter Eight

You promise?

* * *

Part 8

* * *

"You know what happens now, don't you?"

"Master, p-please for-forgive m-me," Yuki begged on his hands and knees.

"You disobeyed me, and now the Konoha Shinobi know who we are after," he blustered. His evil eyes left Yuki. "Ryu, what do you think I should do with Yuki?"

"Destroy the bane," Ryu answered. Ryu had no interest in Yuki, if it would put him in cold water with their Master. Ryu never really liked Yuki anyway, but he never showed it in public. "Do what you see fit."

"Yes, I will." The master cackled as his hand rose.

"No, p-please for-forgive me!" Yuki chocked out, begging for his life.

"Your life is forfeit," their Master guffawed. The master raised his hand, and Yuki's scream flow throughout the hide out. Yuki's frigid body fell to the ground as Ryu tittered lightly. "Ryu, go to Konoha and find out everything you can. Don't follow the girl just yet. Konoha will be expecting that."

"Hai."

* * *

The trip back to Konoha was rather quiet, and it was a blessing. Naruto still was unconscious as they entered the gates of Konoha. Tsunade got Naruto into a stable condition, but the she never left the white square room. "What do you want?" The Godaime snapped at the next person who entered the room.

"The council had a meeting to see what we should do with the girl," the elder Council member, same one from before, answered. His eyes laid on Naruto, who was breathing slowly.

The council member didn't say anything yet, but yet, he was infuriating Lady Tsunade already. "What about Naruto?"

"We think it would be best to take her off missions for the time being."

"No! Naruto was just caught off guard, and besides, she's the best Anbu we have," Tsunade hissed. "I will not take her off."

"Then we will add Sasuke Uchiha to Team Fox, since they only have three members anyway," he explained. His grin was matched with a glare from Tsunade.

"I don't trust that traitor," she spited.

"We don't care what you think. It is that, or she won't do missions."

"She lives for missions." Tsunade glanced to the sleeping blonde. It would kill Naruto, if she couldn't do missions. Missions were her life; they were what kept her alive. Naruto had gain a lot from being a ninja: respect, friends, etc. Tsunade had no choice. "Fine."

"We believe that Naruto should have guards with her at all times," the elder vocalized. He walked over to Naruto. "We don't want anything to happen to Naruto Namikaze, the daughter of the Yondaime," He chuckled to himself.

"Stop calling her that!" The hokage hissed, securing a glare from the council member. "I'm planning to have guards for Naruto _Uzumaki,_" she stressed.

"I meant a body guard that will be at her side 24_/_7," he stated.

"I can understand that. I know some candidates that will be perfect for that position," Tsunade spited. _He better not say that Uchiha!_

"Sasuke Uchiha will be her body guard."

Shit, he just said the one name that Tsunade didn't want to hear right now. "Why do you keep putting them two together?" She bellowed at the man.

"I thought you knew why already," he spoke. He walked backward to the door slowly. "You will have him as her body guard, or take her off missions. Your choice."

Tsunade was backed up into the corner, not literally speaking. The Godaime couldn't go against the council. The Hokage was a puppet for them, and she knew it. So why did she take this job again? O yea, Naruto! All this trouble and work was all Naruto's fault in some sense, but she wouldn't take any of it back. Naruto had won a spot in Tsunade's heart, and she wasn't willing to give that up. Naruto needed missions, so what could Tsunade do, really?

"Fine." The words struggled to get out. There was nothing she could do.

"This is what I hoped to hear," He grinned.

* * *

Naruto laid on a comfortable bed, and she felt a warm feeling washed over her. This feeling was the complete opposite of what she felt in the damp cell. She felt safe, but she couldn't compute why. Her body felt heavy and tired, even through it felt like she slept forever. Voices filled her tan ears, but her eye lids were too heavy. The voices became clearer. There were at least five different voices in the room.

The safe feeling that washed over her was soon vanishing. Anger was taking it's place, and questions followed. Where was she? She had to be in Konoha, right? The voices, she knew them. Why did they lie to her all those years? Why did _her_ father seal the demon into _her_? Naruto's life would be different, if her father sealed it in someone else. But she would be dead without the demon, right? She should be happy, right?

Naruto wasn't mad at the Yondaime; in fact, he was her hero. The blonde cared deeply for the man, she never met, and she could never understood why. Her subconscience must had sense the connection between them. Naruto only wished she could had met Minato, her father. Apart of her was happy that she now knew why her father left her, but did he really care about her? He did seal the fox in her. Naruto prayed he did, or rather hoped he cared about her. Then there was her mother. Did she care? Where was she? Dead? Alive? _What are with all these questions_? She would never know answers to them.

The voices got louder, and she could distinguish that there were five diverse people. These five adults were her teachers,… and they lied to her. How could they lie to her, if they cared for her? That was unbelieve. They didn't care. _They liked my father not me_, Naruto assumed.

The blonde forced open her eyes and came face to face with the surprise crowd in her hospital room. It was silent, since no one knew what to say. Naruto was sure that she wasn't going to speak first.

"Gaki, you're okay," Tsunade cried, catapulting to Naruto. The Godaime just wanted to hug the kunoichi, but Naruto moved out of the way. "Naruto, what's wrong?"

"Don't touch me," Naruto growled, rotating away from her. "Don't ever touch me!"

"Naruto, don't speak to her like that. She's the Hokage," Iruka beseeched.

"Why are you even here?" Naruto inquired ,looking to Kakashi, Jiraiya, Iruka, Yamato, and Tsunade. "You don't even care, so why are you here?" She paused. "I am just a chore to you, so why are you even here?" She repeated again.

"Don't ever think that, gaki," Jiraiya snapped. "We care very deeply for you."

"No! You don't," Naruto blustered. "You only cared about my father!"

"Naruto, I wished you hadn't found out that way," Kakashi told her.

"How did you wished for me to find out? Were you even going to tell me?!" Naruto paused. She tried to get out of bed, but her body was still too weak from the shocks. "No, I had to find out from a guy posed over top of me!"

"Naruto, we were going to tell you," Tsunade pleaded. "Look at me." She tried again to place her hand on the kunoichi, but Naruto swatted her hand away. "Please forgive us. I'm sorry," she begged. Tears embarked from her golden eyes.

"No," The sun-kissed blonde stated. Naruto was always so forgiving before. What happened to her to make her cold?

"Naruto, we should've told you……" Jiraiya started. "You should have-"

"Should have what?" Naruto inquired, cutting him off. "Shouldn't have heard from that man, or shouldn't have known at all?!" Naruto was ferocious. How dare they try to reason their way out of this? It was not fair! Why didn't they love her? She only wanted to be love. The whole group in Naruto's room could see the tears as they fell on the bed. She covered her face trying to hide it.

"We should've told you," corrected Kakashi, pointing to the group. _Naruto, please forgive me, _he thought. Yamato and Iruka only recently found out who was Naruto's father, but they weren't without blame in Naruto's eyes, even if They only knew for about a year now. It didn't change anything.

"Hai, you should've," Naruto said, not looking at them. Her voice was softer, but she still didn't want anything to do with them. Why did they have to play with her emotions? She only wanted to feel love. What was wrong with that?

"Gaki, please tell us what Yuki did to you?" Jiraiya pleaded. He moved to the end of the bed.

Tsunade reached for the sun kissed blonde, but once more Naruto swatted her hand away again. "Naruto, please don't do this," the Hokage begged.

"NO, I had been for hell, and you guys think I will let it go that like that! You lied to me! It almost cost me my life," Naruto wept. "I had been shocked so many times, and if I was anyone else, I would be dead!" She paused. Her fists became married with the sheets. "I couldn't even move as I had to listen to what he said, which was something I should have been told by you!"

She paused not sure if she could go on. "He posed naked over top of a naked me. He would've raped me, if he didn't sense you guys coming! Do you know how that makes me feel? I feel dirty and…" Naruto couldn't finish. She curled up in a ball. The gang moved closer to the injured girl. "Don't touch me! Please, don't touch me. Please, just don't," she wailed. "I don't want to be touched by anyone ever again."

Five hearts broke, watching Naruto. How could Naruto be broken like this? How could this be their Naruto, the happy-go-lucky girl who never gave up? The girl in this bed had given up.

"Naruto." Kakashi started. His heart broke at the sight of this.

"GET OUT!" Naruto bellowed.

"Naruto," They all uttered

"GET OUT!" She repeated. "GET OUT!"

Tsunade pushed them out of the room. "We are leaving. You will have a guard, who will be staying with you at all times," she paused. "I'm truly sorry." She latched the door as she left. Outside the door, Tsunade broke down.

Inside the room, Naruto positioned herself to see the door. Her eyes flowed a river, when she propelled her limb body from the warm bed. _I have to get out of this Hell House. I can't stay here. I don't want to stay here anymore._

* * *

In the waiting room, it was fill of glares. Gaara was glaring at Sai. Sai was glaring at Sasuke. Sasuke was glaring at Neji. Neji was glaring at Gaara. It was a never ending cycle as each member of the loop wanted to kill the other. The other people just stared exposed mouths at them. Lee and Sakura sat in one corner looking at all the idiots. Lee, well, glaring at the Uchiha. Temari and Shikamaru stared at Gaara then Sasuke and back again. Ino couldn't take her eyes off of Sasuke. Hinata and Kiba was confound at the whole sight in front of them.

The rest of the gang tried not to be in the way, not wanting to get killed by the people listed above. True, they all wanted the same thing, Naruto getting well, but they couldn't stand each other. It was war with them.

It was too tranquil like it was foretelling something. "GET OUT." Naruto's scream turned everyone's blood, in the waiting room, cold. Her voice sounded distance. "GET OUT!" Her voice caused the men to stand in the room. Not long after the second cry, the third one was heard. "GET OUT."

Sasuke's heart broke as he rushed toward the hallway that would lead to Naruto's room. Neji, Sai, and Gaara soon followed behind him. The cycle turned into a line to Naruto's room.

In the hallway, they encountered a crying Tsunade. They had never seen the Hokage like this. The Godaime, they knew, was willful and would kill you, if you got on her nerves. This Tsunade looked so breakable. Kakashi and Jiraiya looked equally breakable, but they held their emotions in check. Iruka faced Naruto's room, and he looked just as mediocre as Tsunade. Yamato was the only one, who looked alive.

"What is wrong?" Neji asked.

"Naruto," Jiraiya answered, putting his hand on the Godaime Hokage.

"What is wrong with her?" inquired Sai.

"Whatever Yuki did to her broke her." Kakashi answered.

Sasuke glanced to Naruto's room. He was going to kill Yuki for hurting his dobe. What did Yuki do to her to make her lose herself? "Can we see her?" Sasuke inquired.

"I don't think that would be a good idea," Iruka stated.

"I don't care what you think," Sasuke hissed.

"Uchiha, we don't care what _you _think," Gaara corrected the Uchiha.

"I can see the dobe whenever I wanted," Sasuke snapped.

"No, you can't," Neji said.

"That isn't completely true," Tsunade finally muttered.

"What do you mean by that?" Yamato inquired.

Tsunade was the only one who knew about her and the council member's conversations. "Uchiha has been added to Team Fox and appointed Naruto's body guard. He isn't allow to leave her side," she whispered. This caused a lot of whats.

"Who gives those orders?" The Kazekage inquired.

"The council," Tsunade articulated.

"Can I go do my job then?" Sasuke smirked. The raven knew he liked the council for some reason. There was nothing stopping him from getting what he wanted. He liked his new mission, since he never desired to leave Naruto's side ever again, anyway. He also liked the faces of her fan boys around him, when they heard it.

To bad for Sasuke, Neji was the first to enter the room, only to see that Naruto wasn't in the room. The blonde would be in hell of a lots of trouble, when they found her. What was Naruto thinking?

* * *

Naruto didn't go to Yondaime's head, but she did go to see him. The blonde kunoichi went to the spot, where she was tied to the post. This very post was the spot, where they became team seven. This was the spot where she thought she made friends. More importantly, this was the spot where _the_ stone was located. The Memorial stone that had all the names of all the Shinobi who died honorably on it. The Charcoal stone called her over. She looked over the KIA stone until one name popped out at her. 'Minato Namikaze.'

Her father's name lit her darken face. Her finger tips ran over the name as she spoke it aloud. "Minato Namikaze." Naruto, back in her normal ninja outfit, paused. That name had a bizarre effect on her. "What would you think of me, if you saw me now? Would you even care?" She paused again. She never believed how hard this would be. "Fa…Father." That word didn't feel right on her tongue. "Why did you choose me for the Nine Tailed fox? Why me? Did you hate me?" She wouldn't be able to live with herself, if her father hated her. If her hero hated her.

"No, Minato-Sensei loved you."

Naruto rotated to see Kakashi walking over to her. He was one of the last people she wanted to see right now. "What are you doing here?" She spited.

"I could ask you the same question."

"I came to see my father," she hissed, which was so un-Naruto like.

"I knew that."

"Then why did you asked?" Naruto snapped again.

"I meant, why are you alone?" Kakashi was now only inches away from the trouble girl. He knew she was heading here. Naruto was predictable, but he knew also that she would want to see her father or at very least this stone.

"Why do you care?" She rotated from him. "Is it because I'm the daughter of your Sensei, and you would hate to let _him _down?… I'm just the monster that took him away from you and nothing more."

"NO!" He bellowed. He pulled her to face him. "Don't you ever think that again! You are very important to me. You aren't a monster in anyway."

"Not that important, if you keep secrets from me!" She swatted him away. "You lied just like everyone else…… You have no idea what I went through."

"Naruto." He reached out to her.

"Don't touch me. Don't ever touch me," she warned him. "I don't ever want to be touch by anyone ever again!" _I can't be hurt like that again._

_Naruto, I hate seeing you like see you like this._ "Naruto, Yuki won't ever touch you again. We will protect you," Kakashi added.

"NO!… You can't." She sprinted away from Kakashi, who was calling her name. She knew he would looking for her, but Naruto didn't want anything to do with anyone right now. Unfortunately, she wasn't that lucky, since she ran into a certain raven.

"Dobe, where…" Sasuke paused, seeing the tears in her cerulean eyes, her beautiful eyes. "What happened?" _Who do I kill?_

"Teme." Naruto discontinued in front of her old teammate. "What are you doing here?" Her platinum hair fell in her face blocking her azure eyes.

"I was looking for you, since I am your body guard," He answered.

"You?…You are the one who's never suppose to leave my side. Why?"

He moved closer to his dobe. "I can protect you best."_ I never want to leave your side ever again. I would die if anything happens to you. Can't you see that I love you. Can't you see that I am breaking as I look into your eyes. I never want to see you cry again._ He did something very un-Uchiha like, when he pulled his dobe into a hug.

Her hands found his chest, and he became wet with her tears. If she was any other person, he would have killed them, but Naruto was his light. "Teme?" She uttered.

"Hn."

"You won't lie to me, right?" She didn't mind him touching her.

"Hn." _I could never do that to you… Yuki broke my dobe, and now he will pay with his life._ He looked down Naruto._ What did he do to you?… I will find out later._ Naruto still was in pain, and her limb body couldn't handle her weight anymore. The raven noticed this and picked her up bridal style. "You're fine," he said. "You will be fine in my care."

"Teme, you promise?"

"Hn."

"Thank you."

* * *

I hope you like the SasNar moment.

Please review, and if you do, than you. It is fun seeing all the reviews and hits i get on this story.

It makes me feel important.

-Cass-

* * *

6/05/08- chapter updated!

* * *

8/12/08- I have updated this chapter, since one of the reviewers said I'm 'abusing' Fanfiction's rules, or something like that! If they think i'm abusing the rules, then he should read other stories, which have far worse grammar then i do!!... I'm starting to agree with them!

* * *


	9. missions

* * *

Can I be my true self? A Naruto story.

I do not own Naruto just the plot...

I lost interest in this chapter about 4/5 way through, so i believe the end sucks.

I lost interest after i read something, so i had to force myself to finish it. When i do that, the chapter sucks. My best writing comes when i want to write the chapter. So there you have it.

I meant to have this chapter out tuesday, but one i dont have internet connection, and two i lost interest. So dont kill me!

And thanks for all the reviews and advice. I listen, and It helped me improve, so you all should be very happy.

I also trying to make a ANBU code name for the Teme, since he is the knew member of Team Fox, but i can't come up with anything. Do you, my readers, have any suggestions?

Please review!

* * *

Chapter 9

Missions

* * *

Part nine

* * *

Sasuke stared at the sleeping blonde as she laid asleep in her comfortable old bed. Sasuke, in a jounin uniform, sat in a corner of Naruto's bedroom. The brunet desired to take the girl to his house; however, it was best that she woke up in a place that she knew. She was the most important. His arms fit her body perfectly, but Sasuke was the only one to notice. The blonde was all that he thought about.

Sasuke would have died of laugher, if he was anyone else, when Naruto's fan boys caught sight of him, holding the kunoichi. He still found it funny, but it was too lousy that she was asleep in his arms and couldn't see them. The other boys would have insulted him, but they didn't dream of waking up Naruto, who needed the sleep. Sasuke didn't even stop, when he saw them. He didn't need to, since the council made him her personal body guard.

He didn't sleep much as he watched his dobe. The chair was uncomfortable, but he wasn't going to let her be alone in the room. On the other hand, he wanted to lie next to her, but that wasn't a good idea. Sasuke was a pervert, when it came to Naruto, so it would have been a bad idea to sleep next to her.

* * *

Tsunade had stopped crying, but her heart was still broken. Kakashi had told her about his conversation with Naruto at the KIA stone. The Hokage should have told her about her father, but it would have only put her in peril. Now, the imbecilic council got what they desired. The Uchiha took Naruto home yesterday after a lot of threatening was appointed to him. It seemed like the rest of the group didn't like Sasuke with Naruto.

Tsunade dreamt she was deaf, but she never got her wish. Naruto's fan boy, which made the Godaime laugh, had different agreements to why the Uchiha shouldn't be Naruto's body guard and why they would be better. Lady Tsunade couldn't stressed it enough that it wasn't her doing; however, they didn't stop bugging her. She threatened to send them all to the hospital, if they didn't stop; nevertheless, there were some injuries. They also didn't like the way that the Uchiha was holding Naruto bride style, so it was common sense that Sasuke should watch his back and hope for the best.

The Hokage groaned as she watched her paperwork grow. It was never ending. She didn't even know where it all came from; in addition, she had the mess with Naruto. How could she be neck deep with problems? She wanted to throw all her papers in the air and ran to the orange kunoichi, but what would Naruto, if Tsunade did that?

Tsunade hoped that no missions for a month would bring Naruto to her. It would only turn bad, if Tsunade went to Naruto…… Yep, it would be best if Naruto came to her. Mission. Missions were the key to Naruto's heart. Mission would bring her here.

"You would think that was rabbits the way it grows," a council women said, while she entered the Hokage's office.

"What do you people want now?" Tsunade inquired.

"The council heard about what happen with you and Naruto," she stated.

"Naruto and I are distance right now, so what?" Tsunade secured the nearest Sake and downed it. She couldn't deal with this at this early in the morning.

"It is something to worry about." It was hard to tell who was older, since Tsunade didn't show her right age. "I'm sure, though, that it will work out in the end."

"I can see it in your eyes," Tsunade stated.

"See what? You lost me," the council member asked, confused.

"You're glad that Naruto is distance; in other words, it helps you get what you want from Naruto," Tsunade blustered. _Damn it, Naruto doesn't want anything to do with me right now, Shit._ "She isn't a tool that you can use to acquire what you want."

"If you are so wise, what is it that we, the council, desire?" The member snapped.

"You wish to bend Naruto to your liking," Tsunade paused. "Naruto isn't your weapon that you wish to use as a baby vessel," She snapped.

"Even if that was true, you know that Naruto can never be controlled."

"True, but-"

"But what?" The 'older' lady interjected. "You should be careful what you say. Remember, Hokage, you are on thin ice."

"I know," Tsunade hissed. "Leave!" Referring to many things.

"I will leave, since you have a meeting with the Kazekage." The council member seized the door, while she glanced, or rather glared, at Tsunade.

* * *

No one ever wanted to get out of bed; that is, what Naruto wanted to do right now. The bed was rather old; however, it did fit her body perfectly. It tackled her with a equable warmth that couldn't be explained. It made her feel safe, but yet, she was unsure of the future. The bed gave her this feeling; however, it only worked if she was in bed. The ability to hide in the covers gave her this magical feeling. This thaumaturgic feeling was something that Naruto didn't know what it was, or even how to describe it. She could travel the whole world and never know what this feeling was.

But did she really know herself? Did anyone really know who they are? Did dreams lead to the answer of this question? Dreams were the heart's desire. It made sense that the bed could lead to oneself, but not in that way. This discovery involved one to be asleep not rolling round in bed doing other things.

Naruto's eye lids just rested in position for sometime, not wanting to get up. The sun hit her, and the golden rays illuminated her face, ordering her to get up. The blonde forced herself up and into the eyes of another. Those onyx eyes met her cerulean eyes. "What are you doing here?" She inquired. Her finger raised at him.

"Dobe, did you forget that I'm your body guard?" Sasuke responded.

"O yea." Naruto blinked at him. How could she forget? Well, she was under a lot of stress. "I remember. I'm not imbecilic, which you may think."

"I guess your word choice is better," he smirked. She glared at him.

"How long have you been in that spot? Why are you wearing that?"

Sasuke wore his jounin uniform, which had the Uchiha Clan's symbol on the sleeves. He was rather proud of the way he looked in it. The raven had a lot of pride in himself; sometimes, he had too much pride. This outfit didn't help his pride much. "I had been promoted to Jounin as well as an Anbu black Ops. I'm also on Team Fox."

"How is that possible? It took me forever to get to that rank and you got there in matter of days! That is impossible." She spited. He remained quiet. "You better behave, since you're on my team. Sasuke, that means you listen to me." She chuckled. "It is my team. This should be fun with Sai, Sakura, and you."

_O great! I have to be with that man. Sai is after My dobe._ "Me listening to you? That will be hard." Naruto glared. "Okay, it won't be too hard."

"You never answered my first question."

"I have been here all night."

"You watched me sleep?"

"Hn."

"Pervert!"

"I am not. I'm your body guard. I have to guard you," the raven replied.

"Get out!" She seized pillows and hurtled them at him. "I have to change and stuff." The pillows were a never ending river as they hit him.

"Will you stop it with the pillows?"

"Will you get out of my bed room?"

"Hn." He headed to the door. "Just don't take to long, dobe. It's not that hard to get dress, but if you need help, just ask." The last comment was out of line, but he couldn't help himself. He wanted the blonde in so many ways.

"Teme, you pervert!" He failed to dodge the pillow coming right at his head, but it was a pillow. Pillows are soft, so no harm done. However, the pillow came flying back at Naruto. "Teme, just you wait." She jumped out of bed onto a strong pair of legs. She healed splendidly over night thanks to a certain fox, but it took longer then when she was a child. "I will get you."

"Hn." He closed the door. Her living room was infinitesimal compared to his living quarters, but it was in no way a home. A home was where the heart was, but his heart didn't belong here or there. He came back to Konoha hoping to find a home, his best friend, and a woman in three different places; instead, he found all that he wanted in Naruto. He tried to cut off this bond with his dobe, but he couldn't.

The shower turned on, and soon after that, there was a knock at the front door. He gyrated to the door. To his dismay, it was Sakura and her lover boy, Rock Lee.

"Hey, Sasuke. We came to see Naruto," Sakura answered.

"Where is Naruto and all her youth?" Lee inquired.

"Shower," Sasuke responded. A door opened behind them to see Naruto in nothing but a towel. "Dobe." Crimson crossed his cheeks.

"Baka! Invest in some clothes," Sakura vocalized. She rotated Lee to face the door. "What were you thinking?" _If I didn't know any better, I would say that Naruto and Sasuke were rolling round together somewhere. Sasuke looks tired, and Naruto trod comfortably out of her room with only a towel on. She must have known Sasuke was here. Calm down, Sakura. They didn't,... even if all the clues add up._

_"_I….. , well, needed to get something, and…… I… am not use to having people in my apartment," the blonde explained said. Naruto quickly got what she needed and ran back to her bedroom. "Sorry." She waved one hand at them.

"What was Naruto thinking?" Sakura questioned. _Lame! They must had done it._

"She wasn't," the raven replied. "Does she even have a brain?"

"That wasn't youthful at all!" Lee blustered."

Lee's right." Sakura agreed. _Sasuke, you should try being nicer to Naruto after you and her done it. She glanced at the raven__. Sasuke's acting strange. I'm sure they done it, now._

"Hn." Naruto was right. He was a pervert, and seeing Naruto like that didn't help. He just wanted her more._ Come down, Sasuke._ The gods were torturing him. He didn't think he could last, if things kept happening like that. He had other things to worry about. Naruto's fan boys were a colossal problem, but he was a few steps a head of them. He also had to deal with the enemy after his Naruto.

Yeah! Naruto belonged to him, and he wasn't going to let someone take her from him. What was his stayed his. He wasn't going to lose her to his replacement, the Hyuga, or the Kazekage. If it meant war between the four of them, then war it was. War would be fun, right?…… There was nothing wrong with that!

After some silence, Naruto came out of her room fully dressed in her orange and black outfit. "Sorry for before. I'm used to being alone." She chuckled. Lee and Sakura thought she meant living alone, since she never lived with any one. Sasuke, on the other hand, knew what she meant, but didn't call it on her.

Her blonde hair was still wet, but she looked wonderful in teme's eyes. She was her old cheery self, but that was only for a few select people. "I'm going to get some ramen. You want to join me!"

"No, Lee and I just wanted to drop in to see how you were going, since you escaped from the hospital yesterday," Sakura said, eyeing her.

"You know I hate hospitals, and I needed to be alone!" Naruto whined.

"Naruto, you should had been more careful," Lee added.

"Yea, yea." Naruto waved them out the door and gyrated toward Sasuke. "Lets go get some ramen." Her smile was as big as her face.

"Why ramen?" Sasuke whined, well I wouldn't call it whining.

"It is the best food out there, dattebayo!" The Anbu Captain cried.

"Hn."

"What?"

"I don't want ramen."

"It doesn't matter, teme. You're my body guard, so you have to follow me." She grinned. Her smile could light up anything."

Hn." _Damn it. She's right. I don't like ramen._

She giggled, heading out the door. She won, and he knew it. His Uchiha's pride wouldn't let him say it out loud. He silently cursed. "You are paying also."

"Why?"

"I said so that's why." Naruto grinned as she saw Sasuke's face.

* * *

Sasuke was sicken to say the least. Naruto had eaten six bowls and she was working on her seventh. He had eaten only two bowls and he was full. How did she eat all that and still look that hot? Naruto was the kind of person who could defy reality. _Damn it, I will be poor before she's finish!_ In spite of being rich, Sasuke hated spending money on useless items, like ramen. Ramen!…...

Who created ramen? Were they crazy? Would they create ramen, if they saw Naruto stuffing her face? Sasuke watched his dobe start on the eighth bowl! How could she eat this much? It wasn't human... _She looks hot, though….. Shut-it. Can't think about that right now!_

Even though it was sickening, the teme couldn't take his eyes off of the dobe. How did she have this power over him? _Naruto, I will make you mine; otherwise, I will go crazy!_ It didn't help him that an hour ago that he saw her in a towel. His fantasies were running wild in his head. _Dobe! You could always do this to me._

"I surprise a guy like yourself can watch Naruto eat like that."

Sasuke took his eyes off Naruto and rotated in his chair to see his replacement. Sai had an act of cutting into his thoughts. How did he do that? Sasuke needed those day dreams about his dobe. "Why are you here?"

"I wanted to talk to Naruto." Sai grinned his famous fake smile. He still was agitated that Sasuke was the blonde's body guard; incidentally, Sasuke was on Team Fox with them as well! Life wasn't fair. Sai gyrated to Naruto. "Hey Naruto."

_"_Hey Sai. Did you just get here?" She inquired.

"Hai… There isn't much we can do, since we are off missions for awhile." Sai said. He knew about the new member of Team Fox, but at any rate, he didn't have to savor it. May be Sai could do away with Sasuke, and no one would ever be the wiser. That would work, but that plan involved a mission, in which they weren't taking at the moment. Tsunade ordered them off missions for a couple weeks so that Naruto could rest, after the event she went through.

A normal Naruto would march up to the Hokage office and demand a mission; on the other hand, this Naruto didn't want to have anything to with Tsunade. Naruto would do something, eventually. She would get bored in time.

"No missions, why?" She blustered.

"Dobe, did you forget what happened to you?" Sasuke inquired.

"No, Teme!" She growled. "I can never forget it!" Naruto jumped to her feet with her hands in fists. "I see it every time I blink. How do you think I can forget it!?"

"Naruto, I didn't mean it like that," Sasuke started. He should had thwacked himself. How could he be so imbecilic? Why did he even say that?

"Naruto, the event is the reason….The Uchiha is right, but he should've said it differently," Sai vocalized._ I don't need to undo Sasuke. He will undo himself._ He shined his famous fake smile. He didn't even have to mess with Sasuke; in fact, Sasuke would do it himself. The Uchiha was never any good with women.

"I know, but…. I need my missions," Naruto started. "Lets go see obaa-chan." She paused, starting to tread away from Ichiraku Ramen bar. She couldn't bring herself to walk to Tsunade's office. "How long will we go without missions, if I don't burst into her office?" The young kunoichi asked.

"I would say a week at least, but most likely a month," Sai answered. "I believe that the Uchiha would agree with me."

"Hn." The Uchiha replied. 'The Uchiha' sounded funny when Sai said it; however, Sasuke liked it that way. He didn't desire to be friendly with his replacement.

"I guess I have to than," She whispered.

* * *

It was deathly silent, as the three ninjas made their way up the steps in the Hokage Tower. Naruto loathed each step, crossing her path. Sai and Sasuke only watched her, while she slowly traversed up the stairs. They knew better then to rush her. Naruto had to do this on her own time.

As they were going up, Gaara and his Suna Ninjas were coming down. Her speed picked up, heading to the Kazekage. "Hey, Gaara."

"Hey, Naruto," He responded back. "How are you?"

"Great." Her eyes fell to the ground. "Thanks for before."

"No thanks needed," he told her. Gaara received glares from the two Shinobi from Team Fox. "I was helping someone I care deeply for."

Naruto blushed, while receiving laugher from Temari. If glares could kill, then Sai and Sasuke would have killed many. (So many fan boys, and so little time.) The other ninjas were holding in their laugher knowing it would mean certain death from their Kazekage. "Thanks." Sakura's words kept playing over and over in her head._ 'Sai and Gaara like you.'_ Was she right? If Sakura was right about Gaara, was she right about Sai? Sai was very nice to Naruto, after teasing her. Did teasing mean something? Sasuke also teased her. _What did they mean? Why would they like me? I am……Hey stop thinking like that! I'm Naruto Uzumaki the daughter of the Yondaime. That sentence sounds so weird! Any ways, I can do anything, dattebayo!_ "Why are you here?" She paused. "I didn't wished to be mean." She posed her normal I-am-sorry pose.

_"_It's okay. I had a meeting with the Hokage," he answered.

"I would ask what it was about, but I know you wouldn't tell me," Naruto stated.

"True…. I will be leaving today, but we will see each other soon." Gaara articulated as he and his ninjas started to leave.

"What do you mean by that?" She inquired.

"It's so sad to see you go," Sai lied.

"The world must be coming to an end then," Gaara uttered without turning back.

"Why do you say that?" Sai asked.

"We can see that you are happy that we are leaving," Kankuro answered for his younger brother. They never even stopped, when they answered back.

"Sai, how can you not like Gaara?" Naruto asked. "He never did anything to you."

"Naruto," Sai uttered. What could he say? He dare not lie to her, since it would break her, if she ever found out. Silence…Naruto was upset. Sasuke was smirking, since Sai was down a point now on the get-Naruto score board. Gaara smirked because he was thinking the same thing as Sasuke. "Naruto."

"My friends can't dislike my friends," the blonde whined.

"Naruto, I thought you wanted to see the Godaime," Sasuke intervened.

"And we have to go," Gaara stated.

Naruto nodded. "See you later then, Gaara." They said their goodbyes, and each party was headed off in different directions. Naruto soon found herself outside of Hokage's office. "I don't think I can do this."

"Naruto," both men started to say; as _a_ result, each male received a glare from the other. "Naruto," they started again. They couldn't keep doing this. They could see that she was hurting; thus, they had to be careful what they say. They both made mistakes today, and they didn't need to mess up again.

"You can," Sai stated. Naruto's face fell, but her hand never left the door. "Do you want me to do it?"

"No, I have to do this." Naruto pushed the door opened, and the boys followed her in. The Hokage had her face in her paper work. Sasuke and Sai were standing behind Naruto. Naruto slowly walked to Tsunade's desk.

"I am busy, so this better be important," Tsunade growled.

"Lady Tsunade, I would like Team Fox to be put on a mission," Naruto requested calmly. There was no hint that they even knew each other. Naruto glanced over the Godaime's head, not wanting to look into the golden eyes. Those golden eyes would break her down, since Naruto was on the edge already.

"Gaki, I see that you found out that you aren't schedule for any missions for while," Tsunade revealed. Her plan had brought Naruto to her, but she had to step slowly now. One wrong move and she would be done.

"Hai, ma'am."

"Don't call me that!" Tsunade growled. Naruto didn't respond. "You need time to heal, gaki." Her eyes left Naruto and went to Sai and Sasuke, who stood against the back wall. Their eyes were giving her a warning, not to push too hard.

"I'm not a gaki," she muttered calmly. "As you can see, I'm perfectly healed."

"Naruto," Tsunade paused. "I meant other then physical."

"I am mentally fine."

"I don't know about that."

"Why, because I'm angry with you?…The only problem I have is you!" Naruto growled. Naruto was losing her cool. "You lied to me. You lost all rights to care for me."

Tsunade stood rather fast. "Gaki, I am sorry that I lied to you and that you had to go through that vile event…It destroyed you mentally and physically, and you need to rest," she explained.

"I know! Why does everyone keep throwing that in my face?" Naruto blustered.

"Gaki…"

"Naruto…"

"Dobe…"

"No! I just want a mission. Is that so hard to understand?" Naruto sobbed. "Why is it so hard?" The three other people in the room moved closer to the blonde. "Can I just have a mission? Please. I need a mission," she whispered.

"Sure, Gaki." Tsunade moved her hand to Naruto's shoulder.

"Don't touch me!" Naruto vociferated, while she swatted Tsunade's hand away.

"Naruto, please," the Hokage started.

"NO! You aren't forgiven, so leave me alone," Naruto demanded. She turned away from the Godaime. Her hand was on the door.

"Come back tomorrow with your team. I will give you a mission then." Tsunade gyrated to her desk. "We will deal with Sasuke's rank tomorrow."

"Hn," came the young raven's response.

"Hai," Naruto responded. Somehow, Naruto found herself outside the Hokage Tower with Sasuke and Sai, who could see Naruto was sad/upset. "Teme, I want to go home." Sasuke trod to her side. Sai evanesced at once, knowing it wouldn't be best to tease either of them.

The walk home was quiet; consequently, Naruto went straight to her bedroom. Her bed became her ally, and she wished she never left it. She couldn't believe how she acted. She flipped out over the little things; meanwhile, if someone did what she did, she would have hurt them. What was going on with her? Was this because she was a woman? She hated being a woman sometimes. Women are too emotional.

There was a knock at her door. "Dobe, are you okay?"

"Hai. I'm going to bed."

"Hn."

* * *

Thanks for reading!

I hope you liked it. Review! I love it when i get reviews.

I know the Gaara-Naruto scene sucked, but like i said. I lost interest in this chapter after i read something!! I do think it is funny, though!

And i know Naruto going to bed around noon, but what makes you think she is really going to bed? Poor Teme, No one can handle the dobe. Too bad here is a window in her bedroom. I give you hint. Naruto will forgive one of her five teachers in the next chapter. I won't tell you which!

I hate not having internet at my house, and quizilla is getting me mad. It redid it's site, and not i can't find all my stories and creations that i have on it! should i just leave that site? I am totally lost on that website. There is my little rant! And yea. I hate being the middle child! I am being used by my family. ok there. Now, my little rant is over!

* * *

6/05/08- chapter updated

* * *

8/16/08- I have updated this chapter, since one of the reviewers said I'm 'abusing' Fanfiction's rules, or something like that! If they think i'm abusing the rules, then he should read other stories, which have far worse grammar then i do!!... I'm starting to agree with them!


	10. Self Conflict

Hey thanks for all the reviews.

There are an hundred and Five! That is a big number. That is so great. I never thought i get that many reviews. That just makes me want to write more. Thanks, and i hope i get more. I can see so many chapters now!

And i got two reviews saying chapter 8 and 9 were the same chapter word for word. I fixed it. It happened, when I was fixing the grammars mistakes in chapter 8 and 9, and i must had replace chapter 8 with the nine instead of the fixed chapter 8. Chapter eight is now showing the right content/chapter! Sorry for the mess up. So if you want to read chapter 8 feel free.

You are lucky i got this chapter out today. I told some one i would, so i did not my best, but i was almost defeated. I got a New game for my ps2 (Naruto Ultimate Ninja 3) and i could not stop playing it to write this; somehow, i was able to pull myself away from it. So i hope you like this chapter. The game cost me 40, but it was worth it. You can't have the first two games and not have that one! Sorry for the game rant! I know i am crazy, but that is why you read this!

**i do not own Naruto! **

I am however having a hard time coming up with a ANBU name for Sasuke, so suggestions would be nice!

* * *

Chapter 10

Self Conflict!

* * *

Part ten

* * *

"I don't think they are together like that, Sakura." Lee said. The two lovers were walking down the main street in Konoha, after they finished their lunch.

"You saw the state that they both were in!" Sakura argued. It was undeniable in her eyes.

"That can be easy explained," Lee interjected. Lee was still dress like his Sensei, but Sakura helped him tone it down. He was still youthful as ever, though. Now, Rock Lee had his own team of genin. Tsunade gave him a chance, and he had become one of the best Youthful Sensei ever. His students, however, found him annoying. Nothing ever could stop him. It was hard for him to be a Sensei, since he could do only one kind of jutsu. But that didn't stop him. Nothing did.

"But look at the facts!" She insisted.

"I would like to believe that Sasuke and Naruto are together, but I can't bring myself to believe that," Lee articulated. _Is it true? And does Sakura still have an obsession with the Uchiha?_ Lee pushed that thought out of this mind. He couldn't think about that. "If it is true, would you be upset by it?" He inquired, ready to be hit.

"I think they would be cute together," Sakura squealed fast. He chuckled. Her happy mood didn't last long. "Lee, I am carrying your child! Why do you keep bringing up the past?" She asked. She was angry, but her emotions were all over the place right now… Hey, she was pregnant! She had every right to feel this way!

"I am afraid of losing the most beautiful woman in the world," He answered.

"Nice save." Sakura just found out she was pregnant a couple days ago. It worried her, being unmarried and a working medical kunoichi. Lee, on the other hand, jumped for joy (it took Sakura forever to stop the jumping!) that he would be a father. He prayed that he would be half the man that his Sensei was. He was never alone, though. Guy stopped by a lot now, and Sakura was losing her mind! Dealing with them both at the same time was stressful especially when she's pregnant!

"I lo-" Lee was cut off, when a man trod into him.

"I'm so sorry," the man said. He was in this early twenty, and he had flaming crimson hair, which matched his emerald eyes. His body was well built, but he was lean. He was well built for a villager, which was weird.

"It is okay, my new friend!" Lee youthfully waved it off. The citizen looked friendly enough. What could it hurt? "You look new here,…"

"The name is Dai," the village said. "And I just moved here. I lost my job, so I came to Konoha hoping to find a job."

Sakura glanced over Dai. She felt like she met him before. She had a gloomy feeling wash over her and it came from Dai. "This village is a good place to find a job."

"That is what I want to hear!" 'Dai' called. "It is nice to meet you, but I have to go." Sakura and Lee watched 'Dai' prance away.

Ryu grinned as his cover, Dai, worked. He saw the pink kunoichi before, when he met up with Yuki. He was surprise that the girl didn't see through his cover, but he wore a cloak last time that covered his face, so she didn't see his face. Ryu didn't use a henge to change his appearance, which would have been smart, but he didn't see the need to.

He came up with papers and a cover story, if anyone asked. If he could fool the Shinobi, he could fool the whole village. Dai, or rather Ryu, knew his mission was going to be easy to finish. The village seemed to have it's guard down. It was too friendly for it's own good.

His mission involved steps. First, he had to get friendly with Konoha Shinobi and villagers. Second, he desired to find out everything he could about this imbecilic village. Third, he would take Naruto and give her to his master and mistress. Hai, his master had a mistress, who would skin anyone alive, if they pissed her off.

They had a plan for the girl before they kill her. It was a poor fate that even Ryu wouldn't wish upon anyone, but he wasn't in the position to deny this masters' orders. It would mean a similar fate for him. It was a poor fate to irritate his masters. He wasn't nice enough to put his life on the line to save this stupid fools in this village.

* * *

It was noon. Who was Naruto kidding? Sleeping at this hour? The sun glistened the room, and there was no hope of sleeping. It didn't matter, since it was NOON. Who sleeps at noon? Not Naruto! She was a morning person!

She laid on her bed staring at the off white ceiling. She hated the color, but her hatred went much farther. It was mocking her. No one was after the ugly off white ceiling. It was free to do what it wanted. There was no body guard, who would restrict it, the off white ceiling. _What am I thinking?_ She was jealous of a ceiling! Who did these kinds of things? It was a ceiling. It didn't have free will or freedom like she did, so why did she feel this way? It couldn't move! What was wrong with her?

Naruto quietly propelled herself out of bed. The blonde could hear the teme pacing in her living room. What was wrong with Sasuke? He seemed upset by something. Naruto took her attention off the pacing raven. She seized the window looking out to the village. She never looked back. She jumped down to the village's streets. She had no idea where she was going.

She knew she shouldn't be doing this, but she needed answers. Her new enemies and her father still laid a mystery to her. To find the answers about one, she needed the identity of the other. But where could she go to? Her teachers would surely know the answer, but something happens to her, whenever she was near them. She wanted to forgive them, but something was holding her back. It was killing her. Why was she so conflicted with herself? Was it because she was a woman? That wasn't it. Being a woman didn't change who she was.

Where could she go to get the information that she needed? One was the Hokage's Tower, but there was a great chance that someone would see her. Naruto was alone. That could bring up questions, and most of her teachers, whom she didn't want to see right now, could be there. So Hokage's Tower wasn't the place to search for the information. The Academy could have some information, and that seem like a good place to look. Iruka should be the only one there, well, beside the students. Sure, she didn't desire to see him, but she rather see him then any other Sensei. Naruto soon found herself heading to the Academy to see her beloved Sensei. Her heart began to beat hard.

"Naruto?"

Said blonde rotated to see Neji. "Hey, Neji," she cheered.

"Where is the Uchiha?" Naruto was silent. "So your body guard isn't here," he stated. He glanced her over. Why was she alone? _She shouldn't be alone, damn it._

"I don't need a body guard. I'm Naruto Uzumaki, future Hokage. I can do anything, dattebayo!"

"It is for your own good," Neji vocalized.

"I was caught off guard last time! It won't happen again, dattebayo!"

"Do you always have to use that catch phase?" He inquired. He was worried about her, but she seemed her normal self. She shouldn't, however, be out by herself. The imbecilic Uchiha wasn't doing his job. What was he good for anyway? He left the village. He left Naruto, and now he wanted her back. He broke her heart! He didn't deserve her, not after what he did.

"Hai, is there something wrong with it?" Naruto paused. "You asked me the same question when we were at dinner."

"I did…It is just nice to hear you say it," Neji grinned. He truly loved to hear it from her, and he never wanted it to stop. He did, however, hate the Uchiha. "So where are you heading to _alone_?" He stressed.

"I was heading to the Academy. I wanted to look something up."

"The Hokage's Tower is a good place, a better place."

"No." She gyrated away from him. Her hands jointed together behind her lower back. "I don't want to go there."

"Okay………… May be we can make up the dinner that was interrupted."

"……………Sure, I have to go, but we can talk later, right?" Naruto didn't know if that redo 'date' thing was a good idea, but Neji was her friend, so what could it hurt?

"Right, but…." Neji uttered. Naruto had some kind of power over him. The blonde took off without much resistance from the Hyuga.

After breaking away from Neji, Naruto slowed down. She hoped he didn't come after her. She needed to do this on her own. Then why was she praying that she would run into someone else? Why was she fighting with herself? _I have to do this_! She found herself closer to the Academy and to her old Sensei. She let out a breath as she glanced over the building.

Her foot stepped forward, but she froze once again. Why was it so hard to walk to her destination? Naruto growled at herself. She felt weak! Her azure eyes focused forward. Tears started to fill her eyes. She loathed being a woman. Would she feel this way if she was a man? _Why is this so hard for me? Was am I so weak?_

"Naruto?"

__

Is this find Naruto Day or something?

"Where is Sasuke?" She dreamy inquired.

"Not here."

"He's your body guard, right?"

"Hai, but I wanted some air," Naruto grinned. She folded her hands behind her head. "You know me. I can never stay in one spot for too long."

"True……. Does Sasuke know that you are out by yourself?" Ino asked.

"No." Naruto paused. "I want to thank you." She changed the subject.

"Why?" Ino glanced over the other blond.

Naruto thought to herself. Ino stood in front of the sun kissed blonde. "Hai?" _I am fighting myself here!_

"For the other night, when you and Sakura spent all day to help me to get ready for the date." Naruto responded. _Was it date?_ She was truly happy to have that experience, even though it was a pain in the ass. She also had fun that night, even if it ended bad, well, very bad. "It is just very sweet of you." _Sweet? When did I say things like that?_

"Naruto." There was a long silence wait. Ino went on. "I am happy that you feel that way. Naruto-" She was heading there, and Naruto felt it.

Naruto cut her off. "New subject, please."

"You're going to give Sasuke a heart attack!" Ino vociferated a completely different subject. "He doesn't know where you are!" She was a Sasuke fan girl to the very end. It was sickening, but Ino wasn't ever going to change.

"I doubt teme would get a heart attack over me!" Naruto playfully said.

"True! He would have a heart attack over me!" Both girls giggled. "His fan club is coming back to full force." That was even more sickening. Not ever was going to chance. Life was set in stone!

"I think it is funny. That is the perfect punishment for him."

Ino stared at Naruto. "My poor Sasuke doesn't deserve it!" Ino went off into A Sasuke-is-perfect speech.

Naruto felt something rise in her. _Why am I so jealous right now? And who am I jealous of? I hate being a woman. We have too many damn emotions. _Naruto moaned_. _Why did she feel this why? She growled softly at herself. "Ino, I was heading somewhere."

Ino stopped her rant. "Okay, but you shouldn't be alone."

"I am heading to Academy to see Iruka-Sensei. Don't worry." Naruto pointed to the school. The look in her cerulean told Ino that there was nothing that she could do to stop her. Naruto had to do this.

"Okay, but I am going to watch you from here."

"Fine," Naruto utter. She traversed to the Academy. She reached the front door and glanced back to see Ino still looking at her. Naruto glanced back to the door and pushed it open. Her legs brought her to Iruka's classroom; when she arrived, the door flew open, and children galloped out almost knocking Naruto down. Naruto glanced to the kids. They lived a carefree life. O, Naruto wished she could live that way, but it was too late for her. There was no turning back for her. It wasn't too late for the children. She would protect the peace for them.

Her old Sensei was at his desk glaring at his papers. She stood as a statue at his door way. She had to do this._ I can't do this! I can look for my self without him!_ She couldn't maneuver her body away from him. Was her subconscience stopping her from leaving? Did she want to forgive him? Her heart was racing. Her mind was racing. Her body, however, wasn't racing. It all made sense to her. "Iruka," Naruto utter quietly.

Iruka, somehow, heard her. "Naruto." His voice was calm, wishing not to scare her way. She came to him; therefore, it must mean something. Right?

"I came here to find answers, but my heart is telling me something else," Naruto whispered. If her heart was beating any rapider, it would jump out of her chest. "I feel conflicted," She squeezed out. She felt so weak.

He didn't want to push her. "Can you explain it to me?" He watched every step he made in words and movements. He stood a few feet away from his desk. His eyes never left her sapphire eyes.

"I came here to find answers about my father…… My new enemies want revenge on me, since they hated my father… I thought if I find information on my father, I would find out who his enemies were. It makes sense, right?…. I came here, because I didn't want to go to the Hokage's tower," Naruto paused. Tears formed in her eyes. "I came here, but as I stand in the doorway, my mind was telling me that I don't need you. My heart, on the other hand, told me I do need you….. My body couldn't move……. Part of me wants to forgive you, but the other half doesn't," she finally said.

"Naruto," he started. "That is what makes you you."

"How long did you know about my father?"

"I found out a year ago. I start to put things together. I went to Tsunade and Jiraiya. They didn't deny it, so I knew I was right. They told me to keep it a secret."

"Why keep it from me?" Tears started to flew heavier.

"They wanted to keep you safe," he spoke.

"But……" Naruto couldn't go on. She felt herself get pulled into a tepid embrace. She buried herself in his chest.

"I know it is hard to understand," he whispered. "Please understand, this was for the best. It was to protect you." _Naruto, we did because we care._

"But it didn't protect me!" Naruto wept.

"Naruto," Iruka began. "Tsunade and Jiraiya did it to keep you safe."

"I know,... but I am conflicted. I don't know what to do." She pushed herself away from him slightly. "How hard was it for you to keep it from me?"

"Hard." He paused. "It broke my heart."

"They kept it longer then you. They must have hearts of stone."

"Naruto."

"I am still very mad with them," Naruto stated._ I forgive you, but I can't explain why._ Naruto took a deep breath.

"Naruto, let me help you find a book on the Yondaime, and then I will take you to get some ramen," he offered.

"Sure, I would like that," she mutter quietly, and he knew he was forgiven.

Sasuke was used to the silence, but this was too much. It was too early for his dobe to be sleeping. It was a little pass noon! There was a knock on the door. He propelled his body to the door; to his dismay, it was the Godaime Hokage. He growled softly making sure Lady Tsunade couldn't hear him. There was something about her that he didn't like. What was it? He didn't feel comfortable, when she was in the room.

"Uchiha, I could have waited until tomorrow, but I wanted to save time," she said. She dropped a bag in front of Sasuke. "Here is your Anbu equipment." She glared. "I will also put the tattoo on you as well."

A couple minutes later. Tsunade was laughing, and Sasuke was cursing her in silence. That tattoo hurt like hell, and she didn't even warn him. She was a sadist!…yep a sadist. She had to be. She enjoyed hurting the brunet. She received a glare for him. It was time to change the subject. "So where is Naruto?"

"In her room," he answered.

"She is to give you your Anbu name." It wasn't a new subject, but it was kind of new, right? Tsunade snickered at the look on his face.

_Great! The dobe is going to name me! She going to call me something imbecilic!_ He glared at Tsunade. "Why is that? You did everything else."

"I wanted to leave that up to the gaki," Tsunade grinned, and Sasuke growled. "I think I will check up on her."

"Hn."_ I don't think that is a good idea._ Tsunade vanished from his side. She appeared seconds later. There was something in her eyes. "What is it?" Tsunade grabbed him and pinned him against the wall. "What is wrong with you?"

"Naruto isn't here!" Tsunade answered, pinning him against the wall. "You are her body guard, and you can't keep her in track!" She vociferated. "You will find her, and if anything happens to her, I will kill you."

Sasuke was in shock. How could she vanish and he not know? "Hn."_ Dobe, how stupid are you?!_ Tsunade let him go.

"Find her."

"Hn." Sasuke would go to the end of the earth to find his blonde dobe.

Naruto, somehow, talked Iruka out of walking her home. It could be that Iruka didn't want to upset her. She grinned at the new memories. She forgave Iruka, and they had dinner together. It was nice. Naruto missed her 'family', and she desired to be close with Tsunade and the others again, but it would take time. She didn't want to see them right now. Naruto knew she would forgive them in time, but how much time? Why was she conflicted?

Naruto made her way home to her apartment with a book in her arms. It was about the lives of the Hokages. She planned to read it sometime; however, Naruto was too focus in the book that she took a wrong turn. Naruto, being Naruto, found herself in the barren Uchiha compound. How did she do that? She would never know, but now she was lost. The compound started to overcome her. It was haunting her! She could feel the blood. It was too quiet.

People were murdered here so many years again. It looked peaceful enough, but Naruto was freaking out. This place was too enormous for one person. She never conceived how Sasuke lived here all those years by himself, if he was alone. There had to be ghosts. There just had to be ghosts. Don't tell the blonde! Naruto was terrified of ghost. There was nothing she could do to stop ghosts. _How do I get myself stuck in these situations?_ Her heart was racing. She couldn't last too much longer. She heard something in the distance. She felt an hand on her shoulder and she screamed.

Sasuke's heart could beat Naruto's galloping heart any day. This wasn't happening! Naruto was gone from her room. If someone had his dobe, Sasuke would torture them to death using the many torture techniques he picked up, when he was 'away' from the village. If Naruto was doing this on her own, he would beat some sense into her. (Not literally!) He cared deeply, sometimes too much, for her.

Jumping from building, Sasuke was exhausted. Konoha was colossal, and this wasn't helping him. There was too many places where she could be! He didn't know how much longer he could go on.

Tsunade would kill, if he didn't find her. (literally!) He was about to give up, when his body gyrated to the Uchiha Compound. He couldn't stop himself. What was pulling him there? Naruto wouldn't be there, so what was calling him? It was a ominous feeling.

He found himself running full speed through the empty compound. His heart jolted, when blonde hair appeared in his line of sight. What was she doing here? The feeling was stronger then ever. The teme slowed down as did his heart. He placed his hand on her shoulder. She screamed. "Dobe, be quiet." He ordered. "You are going to make me deaf," He gnarled.

Naruto jumped into his arms. "I don't like this place," she cried.

Sasuke glanced down at her. He was hurt, but he knew what she meant. A blood bath happened here….

It was too quiet. The raven hoped that he could change that. May be Naruto could help him with that. "I know. Lets go home." She pushed away him and nodded. "What is that?" He inquired.

"A book about the Hokages." They made their way to Naruto's apartment. Sasuke send a message to Tsunade. Naruto put the book down and headed to her bedroom. Sasuke followed. "Teme, where are you going?"

_"_With you."

"Pervert!" She squealed.

"I have to babysit you, since you have a habit of taking off," he stated. "I don't want Tsunade to kill me." He muttered to himself.

"I don't like to be restricted." She whined. "And what did you say? I couldn't hear you." It seemed Her cheerful self was back.

"Hn."

"So you won't answer me then?"

"Hn."

"Teme! I hate it when you say 'hn'……...I don't want you to sleep on the uncomfortable chair again, so if you stay to one side of the bed, I will let you sleep in the bed with me…… Don't get any ideas. You have to be by my side 24/7," she growled, "and I don't want you to hurt yourself in that chair, since you won't leave me alone." Naruto moaned._ If he does anything, I will stick a Rasengan up his ass._

"I won't do anything."_ I will try not to do anything….. I will try to be good._ Sasuke felt his temperature rise. He never slept next to anyone, but that didn't make him innocent. What did Naruto have over him to make him feel this way?

"We can fix you a place to sleep tomorrow."

"Hn." He didn't want a different place to sleep. He wanted to stay in this spot, this bed, with his dobe, even if it is just sleep. His eyes rested on the now sleeping Naruto. This was going to be very hard.Thanks for reading, and don't nothing is going happen with Sasuke and Naruto. It is innocent. Well Naruto is innocent. I can't say the same thing with Sasuke. They are just going to sleep. True sleep. just sleep. Good sleep

* * *

I hope i get reviews. Good or bad it does not matter. and if you see any kind of problem. tell me!

-cass

is it me or are my chapters are longer then when i first started!

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6/07/08- chapter updated.

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8/16/08- I have updated this chapter, since one of the reviewers said I'm 'abusing' Fanfiction's rules, or something like that! If they think i'm abusing the rules, then he should read other stories, which have far worse grammar then i do!!... I'm starting to agree with them!


	11. Shadow Wolf

I will tell you now and always. I do not own Naruto. I do, however, own the story line. We all know who owns Naruto!

Thanks for all the reviews. I hope you like this chapter. I think the ending is cute, even though... I am not going to tell you here! You will just have to wait and see.

I have already named Naruto's first children, and assigned what he will look like and act like. I would tell you to much on that subject. You will to wait. I have a long way before that happens, but it will be cute! Don't worry.

I hate computers some times, but you don't need to worry about! They always bugging out.

Did you know that it takes me forever to write and proof read these chapters. It takes me hours just to proof read, and i am a fast reader! I still make mistakes, even though it takes me forever. And it takes me forever to fix it the way i want it on this site. Yep, this is work, but i enjoy every part of it.

I think you should all be able to guess the pairing now, but that does not mean that i will stop the harem, but it will let up! well kinda. You will just have to wait and see what will happen. If you can't guess, then you should reread this chapter, when you are done!

I am listening to the new 3 door down CD. It is great! (random, but i am listening to their songs right now, so it was not random to me.) Well, I was listening to the CD when I was writing this chapter as well, so may be you should listen to it as well. It might make more sense in my head! I don't know. I am just weird. "It's Not My Time" by 3 door down is a great song to listen, when reading this chapter, especially if you read the last part of this chapter. It is their newest hit, so you might have to go to Youtube or someplace to hear it.

* * *

Shadow Wolf

Chapter 11

* * *

Part 11

* * *

It was rather difficult for the raven to stay on his side of the bed. He would have to wake himself up every now and then, since his body would maneuver on it's own to Naruto. It was a good thing that the blonde was a deep sleeper, or…. Well, lets not think about that. He did not need Naruto to think he is a pervert, even if he was one! No, she did not need to know these kind of things, but she already called him a pervert already! He would have to take a cold shower a lot, though. What difference did it all make anyway? She was there. There was nothing that could change that.

It took forever for Sasuke to fall back to sleep after he woke himself up. He could not stop looking at the love of his life. When he finally woke for the day, there was a empty warm spot next to him. It saddened. He wanted to wake up next to someone, since he never woke up next to anyone. He sighed, but the feeling he got last night was something he could never explain. He never wanted to leave it. He propelled himself out of heaven or rather the bed. He made his way to the kitchen.

Naruto fixed herself a bowl of ramen, when the brunet came into the room. She only glanced at him and returned to her bowl. She blushed, but why? Sure, they slept _next_ to each other, but they always share a tent, when they were younger. That was nothing new, right? Well, she was male at the time, but did that really matter? Why did she felt this way now? Was it because she was a woman now? Or was it the position they were in, when she woke up?

Neither Naruto nor Sasuke stayed on their side of the bed. They gyrated to each other in their sleep! Their bodies fit together like puzzle pieces. It was like their bodies needed or belonged to each the other. Whatever it was, Naruto did not know what to do. She could barely look at him, but she wondered. Did Sasuke know the position that they were in? Most likely not. A moan escaped from the blonde. _Why do I feel this way? I don't like him do I?………………No! I can't like that Teme._ She giggled. _That is laughable! Me and him._

Ha.

Ha. Ha.

Ha.

"What is so funny, dobe?" Sasuke questioned.

"Nothing." Her cerulean eyes were forced down on the bowl in front of her face. Naruto didn't want him to see her blush. She didn't want him to see her as weak, which he would if he knew what she was thinking about (in her opinion). She didn't want anyone to see her his way. "Sorry about yesterday."

"Hn."

"Why must you utter that all the time?" Naruto whined.

"Nothing better to say." He smirked. _I like how you respond to it! _"Don't worry about it. Just don't do it again, dobe." _You gave me a heart attack!_

"Teme!" Naruto blustered. He made her blood boil, which he enjoyed doing. She knew this, but it didn't stop her from reacting. He was a drug to her that she couldn't stop using. She needed him in her life.

"What happened to you when you left?" He inquired.

"Nothing. I want to find out more about my father. I ran to Neji and Ino on my way to the Academy. I met with Iruka, and we talked." She answered. Did he really need to know what happened? Naruto was her own person, and she did not desire Sasuke to know so much about her, when he knew nothing about her. (An: it makes sense in my head.) They were starting to reconnect, so what right did he have to know everything about her? He was gone for years, so why did he come back? Naruto trusted him, but she knew he had his reasons; however she didn't know them. He wasn't going to tell her, so why should she tell him personal things?

"Hn." One name was haunting him. Neji. Was there something going on with them? They had dinner together. One could call it a date, but Sai and he interrupted it. So it was all good, but something was eating at his soul. "What did you and the Hyuga talk about?"

Naruto stared at brunet, which was something she could not do seconds ago. "Why does it matter what _Neji_," she stressed, "and I talked about?" The Uchiha gave her his Uchiha death glare. _Why does he care any ways? It was nothing important._ "He asked me why I was alone, and we talked about the night out we had. We might do it again, well, beside the me getting kidnapped apart." She muttered the last part.

Sasuke had no readable emotions on his visage, but on the inside, there was nothing left standing. He could had been knocked over with a feather! He did not look it, though. _There is no way in hell that Naruto is going out with the Hyuga again._ "You shouldn't go out until we get those guys." _who dared touch what was mine._

"True!" Naruto blustered. Her smiled warmed his heart. "Sasuke,…." She paused in her words as her eyes caught sight of his neck. "What happened to you?"

His hand found his neck. "Nothing." He uttered. How could he forgotten to hide the mark he got from the bitch, Tsunade (in his eyes)?

"Teme," she spoke softly, "you can tell me." The distance between them closed.

He felt her breath on his neck as she placed her hands on him. He felt a tepid blanket wish over him. He never wanted this moment to end. "It is just a injury."

"You should have someone look at it."

"No."

"Sasuke."

"Later, after we get back from the mission."

Her azure eyes found his onyx eyes. Time stopped for the two of them. "Okay."

"Hn." They was so close, but yet so far. Their lips were so close, but yet so far. Their bodies were so close, but yet so far. Their hearts were so close, but yet so far. Destiny had a sick sense. How it teased him! What did he do to deserve this? He hated how his body betrayed him. If he stayed in this position, there would be no separation between them soon. Or he would need to take a cold shower.

Naruto pulled away to Sasuke's pleasure and displeasure. She felt strange. She could not understand it. She did not want to pull away; however, she wanted to pull away. "We have a mission, and you have to be formal put in ANBU."

"I have already, and you just have to name me."_ And it better not be stupid!_

"When did that happen?"

"Yesterday, Tsunade came over, when you were gone." He glanced her over.

Her eyes widened. "She did that to you, didn't she?"

"Dobe." He muttered.

"She did!" Her eyes closed and held her arms to her chest. Tears began to flow. "How could she do that?" Naruto was close to forgiving the Hokage and the others; however, now she was not sure after what Tsunade did to the teme.

"She cares for you, and you were missing. It is understandable." He vocalized. He wished Tsunade cared less, since it would make life simpler. His arms surrounded her. Nothing else matter to him.

"It's not." Naruto welt. She cared for the teme, but why? She loathed it that he was hurt like that, but what did that mean? She didn't like him, did she? He was her best friend. Her head was spinning as her mind was battling itself. She always wanted to prove herself to Sasuke. She always tried to bring him back to the village. She always wanted the best for him, even when he disagreed what was best for him. Did that mean she had feeling for the teme? They fought so many times over imbecilic things. Was it because they cared? Naruto gyrated away from Sasuke. "I will have to talk to her." There was a pause. "I get to name you?"

"Hn." _I can't even imagine how stupid the code name will be._

An evil grin appeared on her face. She rubbed her hands together. It was payback time. O, life was great. All the doubt and anger, she felt, dissipated. Sasuke, on the other hand, did not like how the mood changed so rapidly. "What about poppy Chicken Butt?" She smirked, but she couldn't contain her giggles.

_If she was anyone else, I would kill her._ "No." He growled.

"Or plain chicken butt."

"Not a chance in hell." He hissed. _How is it that I want to make love to her one moment and kill her the next?_ She giggled. She looked so peaceful and innocence. _That is why I never want to leave her side._ He smirked.

"I am your captain, and you will listen to me!" She chuckled. "What I say goes."

She beat him there. He was on her squad, and there was nothing he could do about that. Sai, however, was also on the squad. He loathed that man with every fiber of his being. What if Sai ran into a accident? What if Sai never saw the light day again? What if Sai met his untimely death? (Not by Sasuke's hand a course or at the lease does look like it.) "Whatever."

"If that name does not suit you, then I can always chose a different one."

"Hn."

"Let me think, Chicken Butt."

* * *

_So many things to do and so little time._ He let out a sign. _I haven't see Naruto since that night. I want to pull her into my arms and never let her go._ He walked down the center of town heading to the Memorial Stone. _Would I be the best person for her? I only want the best for her. _His heart was racing just thinking about the blonde. _Will she ever be truly happy again or will she hide before her mask forever?_ His mind was racing. His lips desired to touch her lips. His body desired to touch her body.

He also wanted to do the best for Naruto, even if that meant her being with another men. However, that did not mean he would give up on her. _I only want the best for her. I just want to be near her. I only want to see her happy. _He let out a sigh. Sure, he and Naruto were different, but didn't opposites attract? He was so into his thoughts that he did not notice that he trod into someone. "Sorry about that." He glanced over to the stranger. He had flaming crimson hair and emerald eyes.

"It is fine." The stranger waved on. "The name is Dai."

"Nice to meet you, Dai."

"And your name is?"

"Kakashi." He answered. He had an ominous feeling wish over him. He met this man before, but where? "Do I know you?"

"I don't believe so. I just moved here." Dai answered. A smirk would had appeared on his visage; however, that would had been eye raising.

"Hmm." He could not bring himself to trust what Dai was saying.

"I have to go."

"So do I." Kakashi vanished in a pop of smoke.

'Dai' grinned as he traversed to his home. He found himself in his small cheap apartment. Ryu broke down laughing. There was nothing around him as he lost himself in own mind. "This will be easier then what I first thought." He chuckled again. "They do not even question my existence. They doubted their own senses! I already broke into the Hokage's Office, and no one even knows. My masters will have the girl soon."

* * *

Sasuke, Sai, Sakura, and Naruto found themselves in front of the Godaime Hokage in their ANBU uniforms. "Guard duty!" Naruto hollered. "Team Fox is your best ANBU squad, and you are putting us on a stupid assignment!"

"First of all, I am the Hokage and all ANBU black ops listens to me." Tsunade stepped closer to Fire Fox; however, Naruto stepped back, but this didn't go unnoticed by the rest of the people in the room. "Second of all, Team Fox is not ready yet. One, you got a new teammate, and we have to see how the whole squad will be effected by that. Two," she paused. "Two, you are not ready yet."

"Don't you dare belittle me! I am Naruto Uzumaki," she paused, "the daughter of Minato Namikaze, the Yondaime. I can take care of myself." She played the guilt card in a sense. Tsunade's eyes widened at her referral to Minato.

"I know who you are, but it does not change the fact of what happened to you. There is someone after your life." She sneered. In fact, Tsunade was not ready to let her 'daughter' go just yet. She could not bare it, if something happened to Naruto. _She is still too angry to see why I am doing this... Some times, I care too much._

"I know! I know! I don't need or want to be reminded of it! I just don't want to live my life in fear." Naruto muttered. _Why am I so angry with Tsunade? I didn't mean to yell at her._ She started to pull back into herself again._ What is wrong with me?_

Sasuke cherished silence, but right now he did not want anything to do with it. Even though he could not see her face (they all were wearing masks), he knew she was crying. Whatever happened to her must had been horrible, and he was going to find what happened, so he could torture Yuki for everything that he had done to Naruto. The raven had to say something. "The dobe hadn't name me yet." _Damn it, that did not sound right._ He growled knowing Sai's smart remark was coming soon.

Sai's fake smile appeared on his faced and could be sense behind his mask. He did not say anything, however. It was best, but Tsunade and Naruto did not change their mood. "What names is Naruto thinking about?" Sakura inquired. Sasuke did not answer her. _That was rather mean of him. I wonder what he is thinking about_.

His mind was on the uncomfortable silence. He had to do something. "Dobe, you can call me Chicken Butt, if you really want to." He muttered. Sasuke in no such way wanted to be call that, but he would do it for the woman that he loved. Everyone, except Naruto, stared at him.

"I never thought you would let the gaki call you Chicken Butt, Uchiha." Tsunade chuckled. Her life was getting a whole lot better. "If you want that name Uchiha, then you can have it for your code name."

"No." Naruto cut in, which stunned Tsunade. Tsunade was sure that Sasuke would be the first to deny that name, but Naruto was. What was going now? "I have chosen a name for teme already."

"What is it, dobe?" Sasuke quired. _All the names that she was hurtling around were all imbecilic, and Chicken Butt was the one she harped on the most, so what name would she choose over that?_ He didn't get his real mask yet, because it was suppose to match his name, which he didn't have yet. His mask now was plain with no real shape. It was rather boring.

"Shadow Wolf." Naruto uttered.

"Naruto." Sasuke muttered. He could not take his eyes off of his blonde dobe.

"Very well." Tsunade said. She pulled a mask out of no where and hurtled it at Shadow Wolf. "Shadow Wolf is the new member of Team Fox. You have your mission, and you are dismissed." _Naruto, please forgive me. I know you will come around, but how long will it take?_ She sighed. _This encounter is better then the last one however._

* * *

Team Fox stood on Konoha's outside wall. Fire Fox lead the way with her team shortly behind her. Naruto was upset to say the least. She wanted to fight, but no she was stuck scanning the surrounding area. She knew this was important job, but why did it have to so boring.

There were to many sounds. Every time she would look forward, there would be a noise that drew her attention. She was getting a bizarre feeling. It was weird in a way that she could not explain. It stopped her dead in his tracks.

"What is it, Captain?" Sakura asked.

"I don't know. Do you sense it as well?" Naruto inquired.

"Hai." Team Fox replied. It was difficult to tell where it came from.

"We will spit into two groups." Naruto demanded. "Pink Slug and Old Eagle will go in that direction. Shadow Wolf and I will go in the other. We will met back here in a hour. Break!" They took off in to direction.

* * *

An half an hour went by; however, there was nothing abnormal. _There have to be something. _"Shadow Wolf, what do you think?" Naruto inquired.

"It is too quiet now." Sasuke replied. It was true. It was so much noise before, but now it was quiet, too quiet. _I don't like this feeling._

Their surrounding were rather plain. There weren't too many trees. They were at a side of a mountain. There was a small cave in the side of the mountain. The ominous feeling was strongest then ever. Naruto was called to the cave. The ominous feeling was coming from the cave. It looked larger up close.

"Fire Fox, what are you doing?" Sasuke appeared next to her.

"We should check it out." She snickered back.

"You two should be careful. You don't want to get stuck in there." A venomous voice called out to the ANBU members.

Shadow Wolf jumped in front of his captain. Fire Fox did not enjoy the thought that she needed to be protected. "Teme, I don't need you to protect me. I'm your superior." She snapped. It was her job to be the one in control.

"Dobe, that is the reason why I am here. I am your body guard." He hissed. He did not have time to fight with her. _I met this man before. It can't be Yuki! _"Come out."

The stranger jumped down in front of them. He had a long crepuscular cloak that covered his face, but they met him before, and they knew it. "Ryu is my name, and I believe I met one of you before. Well at least, it smells like I did." Ryu smirked. He knew who both of them were, even if they had no clue who he was.

"Where-re i-is Y-uki?" Naruto stuttered. _What is wrong with me? I sound like Hinata again. _Her fear started to grown.

Sasuke didn't look back, but he heard Naruto speak, and it broke his heart. He felt his soul cry. _What did he do to her? _"Fire Fox, are you okay?" He asked. Naruto did not answer as she froze in place.

"Yuki is dead. Our master did not like the way how he treated you, Naruto." Ryu chuckled. He could not see their faces, but he know they were surprised.

"Dobe, get back." Sasuke ordered. _He knows she is Naruto! How does he knows that? Calm down. It is just one of them. I can take him!_ "I got him."

"You think." He grinned. "I would like to see you try!" They charged each other. Naruto had a hard time keeping up with both if their movements. Sasuke came flying back with colossal force. He landed on the hard rocks in the small cave. "What kind of Shinobi are you? I will tell you your mistake. You are too worry about protecting her that you could see my movements." Ryu vanished. The next thing Naruto knew was the cloaked man was breathing into her ear. "What kind of ANBU is he, Miss Fox?"

Naruto could only hang onto herself. Her voice seemed to have left her. "What d-do y-you wa-want?" She stuttered. _This isn't Yuki……. Why do I feel so weak?_

"It is not what I want, but what my master desires." Ryu sneered.

"Dobe, get away from him!" Sasuke blustered weakly. He failed to propel himself up. Ryu must had done something to him before.

"Calm down, Shadow Wolf. I am not going to hurt her just yet." He responded. Ryu's hands found their way into Naruto's golden hair. "Such pretty hair." He smelled it. His hand never left her hair.

"Get away from her!" Sasuke demanded. He laid in the middle of the cave.

"We should let Naruto talk." Ryu ordered. "I could make anyone scream for mercy, even Yuki. Do you want me to show you using your squad member?" He whispered. "I already have him stressed and weaken already." He chuckled.

Naruto jumped away from him as she swung a punch at him. "Don't you dare touch him." She muttered to Ryu.

"I can do whatever I want to him, my sweet heart." Ryu chuckled. Naruto glanced back behind her to Sasuke. "You better hurry. That cave isn't safe, and he can't move."

"What did you do to him?" Naruto gnarled. She held out her hand, and she started to form a one hand Rasengan, which she could do for years now.

"Pretty." He appointed to her hand. "Let's see you use it."

Naruto charged him. "Rasengan!" She blustered.

Ryu maneuvered out of the way and grabbed her wrist. He forced her to connect to the earth under her feet. Rocks went flying as both Ryu and Naruto went flying back. Ryu was able to land on his feet, but Naruto was not as lucky. Her back hit the rocks near the cave's entry way. The ground became unsteady from her last attack. "Nice, but you are too slow." He chuckled. "I wonder how long the cave will last before it gives out killing everything insides. I doubt your teammate or rather your body guard will be able to make it out in time." He lost his self in his laugher. He was insane.

"Sasuke." Naruto whispered. She had to get to him before it was too late. _What did he do to you, teme? _She would do anything for him, but she would never admit it to him. She used the side of the cave for support. The ground and walls began to shake forcing Naruto to the ground. "Sasuke!" She screamed dropping their code names. She propelled herself up.

"Naruto, get out of here!" He hollered to her.

She saw a outline of a body. She, somehow, ran to him. She fell to his side. She pulled his head into her lap. "Everything will be okay."

"Naruto, you need to get out of here." His eyes found her eyes in the darkness.

"I am not trash. I do not leave anyone behind especially my comrades." She welt.

"Dobe." He reached his hand up to her face. He removed her mask then his mask. His eyes went to her lips. Was it wrong to make a move now? He positioned his hand on the back of her head. "I am tired of this."

"Of what?" She inquired. Everything around them vanished. It was just the two of them, and nothing else mattered to them.

"I want more. I need more."

"I don't understand."

"You can be naive sometimes." He smiled, really smile. He pulled her closer. Their lips were only inches apart. Just when Sasuke was about to connect their lips, the cave around them started to fall. The couple froze as the ground was shot by rocks bullets. One, they couldn't move being as weak as they were. Two, they never broke eye contact, but that would not last for long. Sasuke's eyes widened as he saw a rock heading straight to Naruto's head. He had to do something before it was too late. He just hoped and prayed he would be able to move his broken (not that broken) body. "Naruto." He moved so fast that Naruto never saw his movements. Would he make it in time to save the woman if his dream? Will he ever be able to tell her what he feels?

* * *

What going to happen to the Teme and Dobe? Will they make it? Will they ever escape? What will they talk about?

I am not good with Fight scenes, but i tried. I hope you like it.

See i told you that "it's not my time" was the right song. Watch the music video, it you still disagree. I hope you like the chapter.

Please review. I loves reviews. Good/bad it does not matter.

I have so many hits. It is great, but there are a lot more hits for the beginning chapters then the latter chapters, and those are better! Well, it is their lost, if they did not read to the end. They should had!

HA

HA

HA HA

HA

HA HA

I am laughing at how imbecilic they are.

-Cass

6/07/08- chapter upated


	12. My Angel

I don't own Naruto. I don't want to be sued.

The internet wasn't working at my mother shop, so i had to come to my uncle house to put upload this. I hope you are happy.

You never know how out of shape you are, til you get back on your bike, which cost me 90!

Not too much words me from this week, well i have updated all of the chapters, so you can reread them if you want.

* * *

Chapter 12

My Angel

* * *

Part 12

Pink Slug and Oil Eagle were waiting for about an hour with no sign of Fire Fox and Shadow Wolf. They were starting to worry. "This is the spot where we are suppose to meet up at, right?" asked Pink Slug. She was getting a feeling in the pit of her stomach. Something wasn't right. She was pregnant, but that wasn't it. It could have been that she disliked Sai, but it was worse then that. Her heart felt weak as well. Something was wrong. _Sasuke, Naruto, did something happen to you?_ Sakura felt her chest tighten. This feeling of death and despair started at same time as the earthquake. There was a major earthquake an hour ago, but that could had been caused by many things._ Could it had been Naruto's Rasengan that caused the earthquake?_

"I am sure. This is the place." Oil Eagle replied. He had the same feelings as Sakura, but he wasn't sure of what to make of it. _This has to be the Uchiha doing?_ He never liked the traitor, but his hatred for him kept building and building. It was never going to go away. When he first met team 7, he wanted to save the bond that Sasuke and Naruto had, but the bond had only hurt the blonde. The only girl that he ever cared for. She was the one that opened his heart up for love. He was not going to lose that and especially to an ex-traitor. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"It depends, what are you thinking?"

"That Fire Fox and Shadow Wolf got into a battle. Captain used her Rasengan, which caused the earthquake we felt earlier."

"The question now is where are they." Sakura stated.

"We have to look for them, and if we don't find then soon, we will go for back up."

"Hai." Sakura responded a she scanned the area around them.

* * *

Tsunade sat in her chair facing the Hokages' heads. Yondaime was her main focus. He was the source of her problems, even if he did nothing to cause them. She wished she could change the way Naruto found out, but there was nothing she could do about it. The past was the past. It was out of reach. She should had been thinking how to fix her's and Naruto's bond.

She sighed. She wished she could back in time, but sadly that was implausible. _I wonder how Naruto is doing on her mission._ Time slowly passed by as something was tricking away from her heart. _Something is wrong. _She felt it through every fiber of her body. _Did they get Naruto again? Please fate, let Naruto be okay._

Tsunade was never the one to call upon fate. People controlled their own destiny not fate! People had to make their own dreams come true, but there was an ominous feeling in the air. It ate at her soul. It was unexplainable. _I have a horrible feeling. I bet it is the Uchiha's fault. He is more trouble then good._ She growled.

"Is there something the matter, Lady Tsunade?" The Godaime Hokage rotated in her chair to see an ancient council member. He was same one before. She bit her lip to stop the growl stuck in her throat. "You can tell me. You can tell me anything." He spoke like a father to a daughter, but Tsunade did not like that at all.

"Cut the Act." She hissed. "I don't like your tone."

"I just wondering how everything was going." He grinned.

"You mean everything with the Uchiha and Naruto." She gnarled.

"Yes. I do." There was no hiding it.

"There is nothing to talk about, and there is nothing to worry about." _Unless you count this feeling._ She glanced over the council member. What did the council get from Naruto and Teme (as Naruto called him) being together? They never liked Naruto, since she had a demon in her, so what changed? _It has to involve Minato. Do they just want good bloodlines? Minato, what trouble is Naruto in? There are so many forces pulling at her. What can we do?_ "Is there anything else?"

"No. But I am sad to hear that you and Naruto are distant these days." He smirked. _It wouldn't be long now til we get everything that we want._

"I sure you are." She growled._ They are harping on that. Naruto, come back to me. We can't let their council bastards get what they._ She felt her heart melting as she glared at the old man in front of her. Not only was she worried about Naruto, she was ferocious at old senile man in front of her. How she felt so many things at once? Tsunade would never know. Women were complicated. That was for sure.

"I am. Well, I will be off now."

"Good. I have work to do." _You just wanted to remind me, who is in charge! It will not be you! I will make sure of that._ She growled loudly as he left the office. The battle had yet to begin.

* * *

The cave was pitch black. It was frigid as fear started to over run the teammates in the cave. The only thing that Naruto knew, was just about when the cave fell, Sasuke pushed her put of the way. Her fear grew enormously. _Where is he?_ She lost track of him, when the rocks fell on them. Her body felt heavy, but she had to find him. "Teme!"

Water droplets fell from above. "Oi, dobe! You know I can hear you, right?"

"Where are you?" She welt.

"You really don't know where I'm?" He inquired. _And I am in love with her?_

"No."

"I am above you." _How imbecilic is she?_

"Really." She grinned.

"Hai!" He snapped. He kneed with her legs between his legs. His hands rested by her head. It looked very intimate to an untrained eye. In reality, this was the way he fell as he after he pushed her out of the way. It was just too bad that he would need a cold shower after this. This pose was just to suggestive for him. _Naruto…_

"Pervert!" Their masks were gone under the rocks and never to be seen again. She reached up to his face. Her hand touched his cheek, and his warmth flew through her whole body. She felt safe, but there was something else. His words came back to her. _I want more. I need more………….What did he mean?_ "Can you move?" He slowly maneuvered off of her, since he really did not want to move. "Are you hurt?" She asked as she tried to look at him, but they couldn't see a thing.

"It is nothing too bad." He felt her move to him. "No, it is fine." He answered. He moved away from her. "Let me get us some light." He found some sticks and lit a fire using hand signs. The light flicked radiantly in front of them. The fire sat between as a barrier. The entry of the cave was totally cut off. They were stuck, unless they wished to explore the inter part if the mountain, which would be perilous. "I don't know if I should bring this up, but did you hear what I said before?"

"'I want more. I need more.'" She replayed for him. Her breath was slow, and her cerulean eyes never left his. The fire did not compare to the heat in their eyes for one another. "What did you mean by that?"

"I want to be more then friends with you." He stood from the broken ground, which couldn't compete with his injured body. His mind yelled for him to stop, but his heart was racing to her. He pulled her up to face him. He connected their lips. He pulled her body into his. Something wasn't right. "You are the one…..Naruto?"

Tears fell from her eyes. "I can't. You are wrong." She pulled away from him.

"I. Am. Not." He stated. "I love you." He tried to pull him to her.

"How can you love something like me? I am demon and especially after what happened to me." She cried. She felt dirty again. _What is wrong with me?_ Love was rare feeling to her. She never felt love much before, but even with her teachers' love, she felt alone. She felt hatred from almost everyone in the whole village. No one was ever there for her. She could only dream that someone was there for her. She wanted to be caught when she fell. Life was unfair to her.

"Don't ever said that again!" He vociferated. He never wanted to hear that from her. "You are no demon. If you are anything, you are an angel. You are nicest person I know…You are my light! You keep me good and sane. I want you." She looked away. "Damn it, Naruto, I need you."

"You don't need me. I am nothing but filth."

"No! You aren't." He made her face him. He was going to change how she thought. He was serious, and he wasn't going to let anything stand in the way of what he desired. "What did Yuki do to you?" Silence. "You can tell me."

"It doesn't matter. He is dead." She played with her fingers. Tears fell against the icily rocks. She didn't want him to think she was weak that she couldn't protect herself. He would. She knew it.

"Naruto, tell me."

"I…I…was tortured. When I could not take anything else, he placed me on his bed."

_Bed? He didn't? He raped her? That bastard touched my Naruto!_ His hand transformed into a fist. "He ra-"

"No, he didn't have time." She cut him off. She would not be able to take the word, if it was said. She closed her eyes and curled up into herself. "We were both naked, and he position himself. He would have done it, if he didn't sense someone coming." She welt. She still felt dirty. What was wrong with her?

His fist went flying as it fractured the cave wall. Her eyes flew open. "The bastard is lucky that he is dead, or he would have faced me. I know how to tortured people. I could have had him begging for mercy." He chuckled. His laugher was soon taking over him.

"Sasuke." She paused. "You are scaring me." She whispered.

His eyes widened. He didn't want her to be scared of him. "I am sorry." He placed his hands on her cheeks. One hand vanished as his fingers found her lips. He pulled her in for another kiss, but she pulled away the moment their lips touched.

"I can't." She pushed him away, and once again the fire separated them.

"Why?" He was losing his patience with her. He needed her now.

"For the reasons I had already told you!"

"I won't accept that!" He blustered. "Tell me why you are afraid of relationships."

"I am not!" She lied.

"Naruto." He softly spoke. He had to be gentle with her.

"You want children. I don't know how to be a parent!" She hugged her knees. The world was lost to her. There wasn't a lot of things to live for. She was a tool, a weapon, for the council (as the council wanted). Why would anyone love her? She lived alone. She never had any one to fall back on. She was always alone. There was no one to help her, no one to catch her when she fell. She didn't need anyone anyway, she told herself. Then there were relationships. There was always someone to catch the other, when they fell. It scared her to trust another person like that. She never had been in a relationship of any kind, so how did she know what it took? "I never had parents."

"We can learn together." He said, but he made no movement to her. He didn't want to push her, but his patience was dying. He cherished her deeply. He didn't want to lose her, because he pushed her. He wanted to wait, but he wasn't sure about the other guys in her life. "We can start slow. I don't want to rush you." _I will try not to._

"I am alone."

"No. I am here." His eyes never left her.

"Why?"

"You are my light, my angel. You are loving and caring. You never turn your back on your friends. You are innocence. I need you. You are what keeps me sane. You are what keeps me good. You are what keeps me strong. I said bonds made me weak, but I was wrong. You make me strong. I need you….I want you. I want to protect you because I love you not because it is my job."

Her eyes widened. Her face rose. Her tears stopped. He cared for her. That was something new to her. He wanted to be there for her. He had so many fan girls, so why her? Was she something special? "You mean that?"

"Hai." Naruto tackled him. She curled into his chest, and tears sparkled in her eyes. "Oi, dobe, that hurts."

"I am sorry."

"Don't be. It is fine." He responded to the girl in his arms. Her azure eyes were focused on his charcoal eyes. He captured her lips with his for the third time. This time, she did not pull away. She deepened the kiss. _At this rate, it is going to get sticky. Not that I mind. The less clothes the better._ He rolled on top of her, and she wrapped her arms around this neck. One hand supported him. The other rested on her hip. The same hand started to tug on her Anbu uniform.

This, however, was too quick for Naruto. She pulled away from Sasuke. "I am not really for that….. I think we should wait." She grinned.

"Hn." He growled. Wait?! He didn't want to wait. He wanted to open his present now. He waited long enough for the dobe. He wanted to make her his. He didn't want anyone else to have her. "Fine!" He press his lips against her's then he got off of her.

"Teme, don't be like that. I am not that kind of girl. I never had been intimate with anyone, any way." She replied. She was little miss innocence.

"I know, but you don't know how hard it is to be around you!" He growled. Why was he mad at her? She didn't want to be intimate yet, and he understood that, but yet he was irritated. What was wrong with him? He was going to push her way, something he didn't want to do. He wasn't innocence. He slept around, but he never cared this deeply for any of the girls. He just wanted to free himself. He never loved someone as much as the blonde in front of him. He wanted to show her.

"What do you mean?" She questioned. Sasuke was hard to read. She could never understand him. He was bipolar. One minute, he was sweet. The next, he was bitting her head off. He was hard to deal with. If Naruto didn't know any better, she would say he was PMSing. He wasn't, so what was it?

"You are so annoying and especially with 'I'm little miss innocence' attitude. It makes me sick!….I love your naive self, but you piss me off with your high and mighty attitude as well." He sneered.

"Fine, I get it!" She snapped. _I hate you! Why are you mess with my head?_

"You aren't prefect." _Shut-up, baka!_ He thought to himself. His ego was getting the better of him.

"I never said I was perfect!..….I wish we never kissed. You perverted man slut! You don't need me, so find some other woman to play with!" She snapped. _I can't trust anyone!_ She propelled herself up. She didn't desire to be anywhere near the Chicken Ass. He thought he was so cool, but in reality, he sucked ass. She felt dirty, but in reality, he was dirty. He probably had a STD.

Ha. Ha. Ha.

He probably had more then one.

Ha. Ha. Ha.

She giggled at that thought. "We should just stay away from each other." She gyrated away from him. She didn't want to be anywhere near him.

"May be we should! I don't need you. There are plenty other girls, who aren't like you, out there. What was I thinking kissing you?" He gnarled. _Shut-up, Sasuke! What are you saying?... I don't want anyone else. I want her._ It did not matter what he thought. His thoughts would never vocalize into words. His damn Uchiha pride wouldn't let them. He was about to lose the woman of this dreams, and he had too much pride to stop it. _Damn it_.

He didn't need her. He never needed her. She was useless. He couldn't stop these lies from playing in his head. He was never any decent with the subject of love, since he never wanted to be close to anyone. Life was similar, when your mind was not clouded by emotions. That was why shinobi was told to get rid of their emotions. Being emotionless made them strong; however, emotions, in Naruto case, made her stronger. It was all confusing. What was wrong with him?

Naruto started to walk away from him. "Dobe!" _Don't leave me. I don't want to be alone anymore!_ He was going to be alone. She was the only one that truly cared for him. Any other women would just want to have his children and his name. They wouldn't want him. They wouldn't care about him. They just want to be someone. They just want the title that went along being his wife. Naruto, on the other hand, cared about him, even if it was difficult to see at times. She didn't care about titles (beside the Hokage title, but she had a good reason to want it). She wouldn't let him be alone, since she knew it felt all to well.

His body felt heavy to him. He tried to get up, but gravity took over. He felt weak all of the sudden. What was happening to him? Ryu's jutsu went away after the cave crash. He was able to jump to save his dobe. He was able to pin her to the wall and kiss her. He was able to walk around the fire. He was able to molest her. He felt feeble, after she denied him. His body must had been in over drive, so he was never affected by it before. He must had been hit by a rock, when he saved Naruto. His body was heavy. He couldn't go after her. He growled. _I am so stupid!_ He pushed her away. She was about to walk out of his life.

"Are you okay?" Naruto inquired without looking back.

"I am fine." _No, I am not. Say it damn it._

"Good." She took off into the darkness.

"Dobe! Come back. You don't know what is out there. You won't be able to see anything. You will get lost!" The thing that he heard was her footsteps treading away from him. He felt his heart drop. His soul melted. _What had I done? Don't leave me, My Angel!_

* * *

That is what he gets for being an ass. I laught at you teme!

I hope you like it. Don't forget to review!

If there are any mistakes, don't kill me. I was too poop to proof read it a second time!

not too much for me to say.

Don't kill me for pairing! I can't please all of you.

-Cass-

* * *

6/07/08


	13. Life Isn't Fair

I meant to have this chapter out weeks ago, but life got in the way.

I had to take my dog to the vets. She cut her foot really bad and almost bleed to death. It cost me 317.62 (American dollars). I am now broke, but i would so do it again in a heart beat. My dog, Mocha, is a pain. She barks a lot, chases cars (almost getting hit), bits strangers (family members she doesn't know), jealous of all the other animals, doesn't listen (listens only when she wants to), eats (cat food), shits (a lot, which i clean up)), and chews up everything she can get her mouth on. You get to the point to give her away. Then that all changes, when she get hurts. My heart beat was faster then it ever have. I was shacking rather much even to the point my mother commented on it. In my mind, i knew right then, My heart wouldn't last, if anything happens to her. Dogs eat all your food. They destroy all your stuff. They are very jealous (chase any animal that comes close to me). You come to the point of hate, but that is because they stole a place in your heart.

Then baby sits the devil child (aka my little sister)

After that, every time i would take out my lab top, my mother would want to play games on it. I couldn't write (type) my stories.

Then my mother found a baby bird. She went to work, and i had to take care of it. That meant making food for it and feeding it every half an hour. I hated that bird after an hour. And it never shut-up!

And O yeah! I don't have Internet at my house.

Other stuff, but you don't need to know about that!

That is why it took me weeks to get this chapter out. Life happens!

There is a reason why this story takes place after the show is done. I am starting another story, Infinitesimal Change, (A Gundam Seed Story.) It takes place during the the first season and let me tell you. It takes me hours just to write paragraphs! I want to follow the Gundam Seed Manga story line, and so it takes me forever to do so, because I am following the story line closely. I try to be very detail with the story line. And because of that, it takes me forever to finish a paragraph. (well it didn't help that my mother keep taking my laptop away to play it.) Hints the reason why this story is place after the end of the show.

Well here is the reason why you are here.

I do not own Naruto, so don't sue me!

PS. This chapter is not the lightest. it is rather dark (well kinda) just read. You will find out.

* * *

Chapter 13

Life Isn't Fair

* * *

Part 13

* * *

Lets just say, when Sai and Sakura returned to Hokage's office, missing two of their members, things got a little messy. That would include Sai and Sakura. The office was a mess, and her chair found a home outside again. Messy was not a good word to describe how it looked. It took the last two members of Team Fox a couple hours to calm Tsunade down. It wasn't pretty. Trust me. Tsunade summoned the two Hyugas, Kiba, Ino, Shikamaru, and Kakashi to track down the lost members of Team Fox. The new group, consisting of eight, took off.

Tsunade was ferocious, or rather beyond ferocious (if that was possible). She blamed the Uchiha, even if she didn't know what happened. It was always his fault in some way. She stood facing the window. She looked older. She felt older, since Naruto went missing. She was feeling that this won't be the last time she would fell old like way she felt today. _I won't be able to this much of this._

"Tsunade." A male voice called from behind her.

"Hai." She uttered. She would not be able to bare another lost.

"I am sure the gaki is fine." Jiraiya said as he looked at her. She turned to face him, but her face was emotionless. _Naruto is dead, when she gets back._No one gave the Hokage a heart attack and got away from it.

"How can you be sure? The last time she went missing, she came face to face with death." Tsunade said as she tried to keep back the tears. It was not working as tears started to flow down her cheeks. "I won't be able to take it, if something happens to the gaki." Life was messed up. Life wasn't fair. Why did these things happen to her?

The Toad Sage never looked away from the Hokage. He felt the same way. They both had lost so much. They lost loved ones. The gaki was like a daughter to them. Now, they had another chance with Naruto; however, they could lose her as well. "Naruto is strong. She can take care of herself."

"I know, but last time." Her voice broke. Silence followed. She returned to looking out the window. The village was her only comfort.

"Standing around worrying won't help anyone." Jiraiya responded.

"I don't know what else I can do." She felt a hand on her shoulder. "I feel useless." She reached for his. It felt right.

"You are not useless."

* * *

The search party picked up the trail of Shadow Wolf and Fire Fox, but it was weak, however. The group of eight found themselves at the bottom of the cliff. The ground was splintered, and they was a rather big hole in the ground. It was clear that this was a site of a battle. This was the spot that the smell was strongest. (They had Ninja dogs.) They had to be around here.

"There." Kiba pointed. "It looked like a cave had caved in."

"What do we do now?" Sakura asked. Sai and Sakura were both still in their Anbu uniforms. _What happened to you guys?_

"Are we sure that they are in here?" Hinata asked.

"There is no doubt that they are in there." Shikamaru muttered. Some times he wished he was not as skilled as he was. It was troublesome. Life was troublesome.

"Then how do we get them out of there?" Ino eyed the side of the mountain.

"Dig." Kakashi answered. There was a lot of mouth dropping, which was followed by a lot of people falling on their asses. It would take them forever to move all those stones by hand. They had to do. There was no way around it.

"That is going to take all day!" Sakura whined.

"We better get started then." Sai commented with his famous flake smile.

* * *

Pitch black could not describe how dark it was. It was cold and wet. It was hell. The only thing that Naruto could do was feel around in the dark as she walked around in total darkness. She fell a couple (more then that) times before, but she was able to get back up with hardly any injuries. Her feet hurt as she kept hitting them on the rocks. Her hands were cut and bleeding. Her hands were sliced on the sharp stone as she ran her hands on the side of the cave. Her face had cuts as well. She looked horrible overall.

Walking along the cave, she tripped over a rock. She had to stop herself from falling face first into the ground. She screamed as a sharp rock entered her left hand drawing more blood from her body. She lowered her body to a sating position on the hard earth. "Why am I so weak?" She asked herself. She had no way to see the injury from the rock. She could only feel the embedded rock in her skin. It was deep.

She felt lost, physically and mentally. Why did she go so deep into the cave? Why was she that stupid? It started with _him._ Why did she feel like a loser after what _he_said? Why did she care what he said? So many questions, and no answers for them. And this dark cave was not helping her. Naruto felt sick, but there was nothing that could change that. There was no way out of here.

She fingers worked on getting the stone out of her flesh, but every time she tried to pull it out, she could cry out in pain. She tried once again, not paying attention to the severing pain. She flinched as she pulled it out. The blood started to flow out of her hand. Using the other, she ripped a piece of black cloth from her Anbu uniform. She fixed it around her injured hand. She needed medical attention for her hand, since it took longer for her to heal. One of the downside of sealing the Fox power.

Her heart was worse then her body. She opened herself up to _him_ to only get hurt by _him_. What was the point of opening her heart, if she was worse off afterward? She felt weak. She was too emotional. She hated being a woman. May be she should just stop caring. She should just stop feeling. Life would be easier. But she wasn't this weak before. Was this because of what Yuki did to her? It had to be because of that man. How could a dead man have such power over her?

She pushed herself up. She used the wall as support. She felt tired. It must had been the hours she had walk around in this cave. "Will I ever get out of this cave? I can't even see where I am going." She flinched again when she walked into another rock on ground. This time, she kept her balance. She kept her injured hand close to her chest. She breathed heavy. She wouldn't be able to keep this up. She would………

_Don't go there_. Naruto warned herself. _I'm not going to die. I have so many things that I have to do before I die._ She thought. Her eyes felt heavy, but did it matter, if she closed them? _I can't stop now._She wanted to forgive Ero-Sennin, Obaa-chan, etc. But on the other side, she wanted nothing to do with the teme. He was too bipolar for her liking. She wanted to smile again. She wanted to put the past behind her. She wanted to found out more about her father and mother, if that was possible. There was too much to live for to die now. She was Naruto Uzumaki. She was going to be the next Hokage, the Rokudaime (or so she wished, but she did not think of it as a wish). She was going to make it happen no matter what. Nothing was going to stop her. She could do it without _him_ unlike what the council thought.

Yep, Naruto knew about the conversation with council members. She heard the very last part of the Tsunade's conversation with the council member, when Naruto was in the hospital bed. She heard Tsunade asked why they kept pushing her and teme together. Naruto didn't hear _his_name, but she knew who they were talking about. It was rather simple. There was no one the hokage hated more then the teme. It had to be _him._ Sure, kissing _him_ was doing what the council wanted, but didn't it matter what she wanted? It felt strange kissing him, but it felt great. She wished she could feel that way again. It didn't matter who it was as long it was with a person she cared deeply for.

In the distance there was the sound of water. "That could be the way out." Her speed picked up. "Please be some light. I can't deal with the darkness anymore. I don't want to be alone any more." Paying less attention to the area around her, Naruto tripped down a rocky slope. She screamed as she felt severing pain ran through her arm. Her body came to a stop as her body crashed again the Terra Firma. She was posed in a sating position. She whined as she felt a cold liquid wash over her. "Great, I landed in cold water! I still can't see anything!" She gnarled rather loudly. She felt her blood get washed away in the water. Her right arm was now in worse shape then ever. She could not move it. She bit her lip. It was broken.

That was not the worse of her problems, however. She was now stuck in this wet sating position. No matter how much she tried to get out of the water, she was unable. Even if she was able to get up, she was sure her legs were unable to support her. She was screwed. There was no way around it. She was stuck. "O great!" She cried. _Why didn't I listen to that man?_ She growled. "It is his fault. He is an ass hole." She paused as she started to laugh. "I am going to die here. No one is ever going to find me... I can't get up!... I have a badly cut left hand and broken right arm. Life is great!" She chuckled. She soon stopped. "I will never get my dream. I will never get to tell them I forgive them. I can't die like this." Tears started to flow, but the tears drowned in the water below her.

* * *

Sasuke Uchiha stared at the fire as if it was the enemy. His heart broke, when Naruto disappeared from his sight. He was stupid and now he knew it. Why did he say those things? He didn't want to push her, but that was exactly what he did. Now, she was gone. He would go after her, but he could barely move. There was nothing that he could do about it now. If he was anyone else, he would cry. He was an Uchiha, and they didn't cry about things they couldn't change. What was the point of crying about the past, if you can't ever change it? The past was the past, and that was where it stayed.

He turned his attention to the caved-in entry. He blinked. Was his eyes playing jokes on him? Light was flicking through cracks in the rocks. Did someone find them, or rather him? Words started to flow through as well. He heard people talking. So many voices to pay attention to who they were. "They better be in there."

"They are! So keep digging."

"May be if we yell, they will hear us."

"They might hear us now!"

"Shut-up, baka and keep working."

"Can we stop arguing, please? This won't get us anywhere."

Sasuke stared at the rocks for the moment. _They are all bakas! I tell you._ He growled. He was getting sick of the fighting. _Why did I come back to this village anyway?_ The argument was going to kill them and him, if they didn't stop. "Can you people shut-up?" He vociferated. The voices stopped.

"Uchiha, is that you?"

"Hai, Hyuga!" He responded. _Why did they have to bring him?_

"We are almost through. Hold on." Sakura's voice reached him.

"Where do you expect me to go?" Sasuke hissed. People were idiots. Where did they think he was going to go? He was stuck. Well, he could go after the dobe, but he couldn't move, or he would have gone after her.

"Enough with the attitude, Uchiha." Sai commented.

"I will cut it out, when you people stop acting like bakas." Sasuke hollered back.

"Sasuke, we are only trying to help." Kakashi said. "Don't bit off our heads."

"Hn."

"I don't hear Naruto. Where is she?" Hinata asked.

"Not here." Sasuke snapped. He didn't need to reminded of how imbecilic he was. He lost Naruto, and if the idiots hurried, he could get to the blonde dobe faster.

"May be, we should just leave the Uchiha here, and go find Naruto. He doesn't need our help." Kiba sneered loudly.

"We can't just leave him." Ino squawked.

_Why did they have to bring her? _"Then don't go." Uchiha uttered.

"Why?" Kakashi asked as the entry was cleared. The eight stood in found of the raven. They studied him. Sasuke looked well and healthy, but he wasn't moving.

"Where is Naruto?" Shikamaru asked. They had one of the missing squad member, but Naruto, who was the most important (in the search party's eyes), was no where in sight. His eyes scanned the surrounding area. He saw two broken masks under the ruble. _Naruto must be here, but where is she? _As stated before, it would be bad, if something were to happen to the sun kissed blonde.

"She went deeper into the cave." Sasuke answered.

"And you didn't stop her?!" Neji growled.

"Why did she go deeper into the cave? And why did you not go with her?" Kakashi posed the questions. "Did you two get into a fight?"

Sasuke never faced the eight. "Sasuke, you didn't!" Sakura cried.

"And why didn't you stop her?" Sai inquired.

"I can't move." The teme spoke quickly.

"We couldn't hear you." Shikamaru grinned.

"I. Can't. Move." He muttered. There was no way around it. He had to get this over with to find Naruto, who could be hurt. There was a roar of laughter, which was matched with a Uchiha famous glared.

"You kidding, right?" Kiba smirked.

"No." Sasuke answered.

"Sakura, can you heal Sasuke, so we can go look for Naruto?" Kakashi sighed. "Hinata and Ino can help you."

"Hai!" Sakura, Ino, and Hinata responded. It took some time, but Sasuke was good as new, well, in some sense. He would never be perfect.

"So what did you two fight about?" Neji asked.

"Nothing." Sasuke growled.

"We should get going. It is dark in cave, so we better get some light." Shikamaru articulated. The rest of the group nodded as they went deeper into the cave.

* * *

There was no way to describe how much pain Naruto was in. Her hand was still bleeding. Her arm was broken in more then one place. Her face had a few cuts. She had come to believe that her left leg was broken by the fall as well. Her skin was starting to change to an orchid emerald color. She was sick of this empty feeling. She had to move. She had to make her dream a reality. She had to forgive them in person. She wanted to forgive them. Life couldn't end this way. "Life isn't fair." Naruto cried.

Her body hurt. It felt heavy. It didn't even feel like her body. Her body felt lost to her. "How did I get myself into this mess?" She sighed. Life wasn't fair. Nothing was ever fair for the blonde. The villagers hated her. She grew up alone. Someone, somewhere, always wanted her dead. It was never going to stop until she was dead. Fate was after her. She wouldn't be able to last to much longer.

Her hand was still bleeding bad. Her broken arm was comfortable as she couldn't move it into the right position. Her leg was stuck in position as it laid broken in more one spot. There was no way to describe the pain that she is in. Naruto would be having vision problems right now, since she lost a lot of blood; however, it didn't matter, since she couldn't see a thing anyway. Life wasn't fair…..To make things worse, water droplets fell on her forehead every few seconds. And the frigid water was in a continuous motion against her body. "I am going to go crazy in this cave!"

She was freezing. She was in pain. She was blind at the moment. She couldn't move. Life sucked. She would go crazy, if she stayed in this position any longer. She couldn't move as she was stuck in between the rocks. Also, there was a sharp stone poking her ass. There was no way to move the stone. Life sucked. She had to destroy the stone, or in the very least get rid of it. Naruto propelled her up with her left hand. She bit her lip as she felt another rock in her skin. She was able to move the stone below her, but she fell hard against ground. Her left hand was in severing pain once again. It started to bleed more. Her lip started to bleed as she bit down to stop herself was screaming. She bought her hand to her face. She used her teeth to pull out the stone deep in her flesh, but this time she had no luck holding back her scream.

* * *

Each member of the team had some source of light. "Akamaru smells blood." Kiba said. His face fell.

"I think I found it." Shikamaru answered. There was a rather large blood puddle on the cave floor. Everyone's spirits fell.

Kakashi run his fingers through it. "It is a couple hours old."

"We have to found Naruto now." Sakura uttered. That was a lot of blood, and there was no doubt that Naruto needed medical attention.

"How do we know it is Naruto's?" Sasuke growled. _It can't be her's. I would never forgive myself, if something happened to my dobe._ He started to sweat, since there was no doubt it was her blood. _Naruto, please don't leave me alone._

"It's her's." Kiba answered harshly.

"I see a trail." Neji pointed out, which was followed by a piercing scream.

"Naruto." They all muttered. Their hearts stopped and died at the same time. Naruto was in pain. Naruto was nicest person. There was no one nicer. She never gave up on anything or anyone. She would be greatly missed, if something was to happen to her. She was gift from God.

"Naruto is in trouble." Hinata whispered.

"Stop talking, and lets get going!" Sasuke snapped. Naruto was hurt, and they were standing around do nothing.

"Uchiha, we are." Sai said with no hint of any emotions.

* * *

"Water, you are going down!" Naruto gnarled. She glared at her new enemies as if it was the Antichrist. _O, great. I am going crazy!_Her blood lost was getting to her head. There was no way to get around it. She was growing weak by each passing moment. She was close to death. "I will Rasengan your ass!" That would work, if the water had an ass. It didn't, so her plan was useless.

"It is so cold!" Naruto whined. Her world was falling apart. She wanted to see her friends again, before she died. She wanted to see everyone again, well except the teme, who she never wanted to see again. That man was nothing to her now. He was nothing, but a thorn on her side, and a thorn she never wanted. She wanted to be in an intimate relationship, but not with that thorn. He was a perverted man slut. She wanted nothing to do with him. How could he say those things to her.

Her eye lids were getting heavy. She was losing focus of everything around her. Her body was getting stiff and heavy as time went bye. The pain was still horrible, but she was bother less by it. The little things became less important to Naruto. She only wanted to see her friends again, but she lost hope that it would eve happen. Life wasn't fair. It sucked on ice, but there was nothing that she could do about it now. She wish she could, however. "I wish I could have died in battle not by my own hand! Why did I come farther into the cave. Why was I so stupid?" She muttered to herself.

"Naruto!"

"Naruto!"

"Naruto, are you there?"

_I must be hearing things_. Naruto thought. She was losing her five senses, so she had to be imagining things. The voices in her heard were getting louder. "I can hear you!" She hollered back.

"Naruto, where are you?" The voice was over excited.

Naruto's eye flew opened. The voices in her head never talked back to her (well like that). The voice sounded like Sakura, one of her friends. "Sakura?" The blonde asked.

"Hai, and others. Where are you?" Sakura inquired.

"B-by…..water." Naruto squeezed out. She had lost to much blood to speak.

"We are on our way. Hold on." A male voice called out.

_Sai!_Naruto breathed. Every breathe she took was exhausting. "I…" She didn't have the breath to speak. _My friends are here_. She cried.

"Naruto, what is wrong?" Neji called out.

Naruto wanted to answer back, but it hurt too much to speech back. There was a long moment of silence. "B-blood. T-too much b-blood." She uttered. She was inches away from unconscious and feet away from death.

The team found the blonde covered in blood. The medics ran to the blonde to heal her as the others looked on. Sasuke felt weak as he looked over the dobe. He blamed himself. He pushed her away, and now, she was close to death. Why did he have to say those things to her? She was in pain, and it was his fault. "Is she okay?" He choked out. If anything happened to her, he would die.

"We heal her the best as we can. We need to get her to the hospital." Ino answered as Hinata and Sakura treated her.

A couple of the guys came forward to pick her up, but a certain Uchiha shoved them away. "I got her." Sasuke hissed. There was a lot of 'no way in hell'. "I am her body guard!" He hollered back.

"And you did a amazing job!" Neji blustered back. There was no way in hell that he would let the Uchiha touch Naruto. It was the Uchiha's fault, even if he could not prove it. It had to be his fault.

"Ka-Ka." Naruto tried to speak. The words were caught in her throat.

There was complete silence. "You shouldn't talk." Hinata ordered (it really wasn't a order). Her voice was soft but strong.

"We need to get her out of here. So have you guys got over your big egos?" Ino sneered. It wasn't the best time to fight.

"I got her." Kakashi moved to Naruto. She made no protest as she found her in Kakashi's warm chest, which surprised him. He expected her to fight, but instead she buried herself in his chest. He felt warm from her touch. He was careful to hold her without hurting her. "Lets get going."

They nodded and they were on their way. "I…I for-forgive you." Naruto whispered, so only the man, holding her, heard her.

Kakashi couldn't believe his ears, but he wasn't going to question her. He held her closer. He liked the feel of her in his arms. It felt right. He never wanted to let her go. He did, however, wanted to know what happened to her. Why did she leave Sasuke behind, and go farther into the cave? Why were they trapped in the cave in the first place? Why did Naruto shy away from Sasuke, when they found her? What was going on? He hated questions.

They found their way out of the cave. They jumped tree to tree back to the village. They made their way straight to the hospital. Sasuke's eyes never left Naruto. Well, the group's eyes never left the blonde dobe. It was like, if they took their eyes off the blonde, she would disappear. Life wasn't fair. Why did everything bad had to happen to a person as sweet as Naruto? It didn't make sense.

* * *

I hope you like it

Review please good or bad. It does not matter.

I promise you the next chapter will be lighter. (happier)

If you see any mistakes message me.

I am working on the story i told you about in the beginning. When i finish that first chapter, i will get the next chapter of this out. Okay?

bye, have fun!

-Cass-


	14. Tournament?

If you want to read my gundam seed story, it is out. Read it. I think it is pretty good.

I hate it, when my mother steals my lab top off of me. I was tried to proof read this (i proof read it once, but i wanted to proof it again) and she deceided then that she wanted to play on it! She was playing on it for hours, so i never read it again. I didn't feel like reading again, so if you see any mistakes, don't kill me!

I don't know what else to tell you.

O, yea! Thinks for the reviews

And By the way, this chapter deals with loose ends, i hope you like it!

6-21-08

I do not own Naruto, just the plot!

* * *

Chapter 14

Tournament?

* * *

Part 14

* * *

Tsunade felt useless as she watched Naruto breathed slowly. Naruto hadn't waken up yet, and Tsunade decided that she wouldn't leave Naruto's side until she woke up. She didn't want to leave Naruto incase something were to happen to her. All of Naruto's injuries were healed, but her arm and leg were still broken in a couple places. Her injuries was nothing serious, but Tsunade didn't want to leave her side. She set up a desk and did her paper work there.

Tsunade wanted to kill the Uchiha, when she saw the condition that Naruto was in. She blamed him, even though she didn't know what happened. Did it involved the guys that were after Naruto, or was it sometime else? All that the Hokage knew was what Kakashi told her, which wasn't much. Why did Naruto go farther into the cave?

It had been a couple days, since Naruto had came back from the cave. Tsunade was the only one, who was still at the hospital. Everyone went back to their missions/jobs, but their prayers were with the unconscious blonde. The cursed Uchiha had to be forced out of the hospital, but he never tried to return, since Tsunade ordered, well, threatened him to stay away. He may had been Naruto's body guard, but she was the Hokage. She was better then any body guard that Naruto would ever need. Jiraiya stopped bye for a hour, but he had his 'research' to do. He needed something to take his mind off of what happened to Naruto in reality.

Tsunade would look up every few seconds to see how Naruto was. Naruto's eyes flicked as Tsunade looked back down at her papers. "Naruto." She uttered, when she forced herself to look back up to Naruto. Tsunade's heart beat rose.

* * *

Naruto felt herself being called, but she couldn't find out, who was calling her. She was being taken in by the darkness of itself. There was nothing she could as she heard the voice call for her again. She tried to reach up with her right arm, but it wouldn't move. It felt like it weighted a ton. A tear ran down her cheeks. She didn't want to be in the darkness anymore. She wanted to be love.

_I don't want to be here anymore! I want to see my friends._ Light flicked in front Naruto's eyes. The voice, she heard before, became louder. She forced her eyes open, and she came face to face with a crying Tsunade, which wasn't pretty. "Obaa-chan." Naruto uttered as Tsunade had her in a tight bear hug.

"Naruto, I am glad you are okay!" Tsunade cried. She slowly pulled away. Why didn't Naruto pull away or yell like the last time? It surprised the Godaime.

Naruto looked over herself as Tsunade helped to pull her into a sitting position. Her left leg was in a cast. Her right arm, which was also in a cast, was in a sling across her chest. _Fox didn't heal me yet…….But that is explainable, since it was sealed farther down._ These were the times that she wished the fox wasn't sealed farther down. She wasn't into much pain, but she was very uncomfortable. "Obaa-chan, are you okay?" Naruto inquired as she saw the look in the Hokage's eyes.

"You didn't shy away from me." Tsunade answered.

"I learned that life is too short and you were doing what you thought was best." Naruto smiled. There was something more there, and Tsunade saw it. "I forgive you"

"Gaki." Tsunade give her small bear hug. "What happened in the cave? Why did you go farther in? Why not stay with the Uchiha? Why were you in the-"

Naruto raised her hand to silent her. "I can only answer one question at a time." She felt lost on the inside. She didn't want to recall what happened with her and _him._ "Ryu attacked Shadow Wolf and I."

"Ryu is the missing ninja, who saved Yuki, the man who almost ra-"

"Hai." Naruto quickly cut Tsunade off. She never wanted to hear that word again. She wouldn't be able to take it. "Ryu said that Yuki is dead."

"Hmm." Tsunade was in deep thought. "He could be lying."

"I don't think so. I saw it in his eyes." Naruto spoke. "We started to fight. Shadow Wolf ended up in the cave. He couldn't move. I took over the fight, but I had to save my teammate. Then the cave caved in on us. We were stuck in the cave." Naruto paused. She didn't want to tell Tsunade the whole true. She didn't want Tsunade to think she was weak. "I wanted to explore the cave, but he didn't. I explored the cave alone. I couldn't see in the cave. I tripped, and well, you know the outcome." Naruto articulated.

"Gaki, is that all?" Tsunade eyed her carefully.

"Hai, why?" Naruto asked innocently.

"You won't say the Uchiha's name, and it doesn't make sense why he would let you go farther into the cave." Tsunade eyed Naruto. _What isn't she telling me?_ "Did you two get into a fight?" Naruto looked away. "Naruto, you can tell me."

Tears ran down Naruto's face. Naruto told Tsunade everything that was said in the cave. She didn't leave anything out. "He just wanted sex!" She cried.

Tsunade's hand turned into a fist. "I going to kill him." She growled. She stood from Naruto's hospital bed. Naruto's left hand grabbed Tsunade clothes. "Gaki?"

"No. Please, leave him alone. I just want to forget it." Naruto whined. Sure, she never wanted to talk to or about the teme, but that doesn't mean she wanted him to get hurt. She wasn't into revenge. To her, revenge was imbecilic. It was a useless emotion. It only made a person weak. "Revenge won't solve anything."

"I know."

"The village needs him healthy. It doesn't matter what we think of him." Naruto lectured. Naruto tried to get up, but it was useless. Tsunade saw this. She started to play around with a needled that was filled with a clear liquid.

"Gaki,-" Tsunade was cut off as a certain pervert entered the room.

"Naruto, you are wake!" Jiraiya grinned. "Everyone has been worried sick."

"Well, I'm Naruto Uzumaki, the next Hokage." She cheered as she rubbered her head with her good hand. "Nothing can keep me down, dattebayo!"

"That is good to hear." He gyrated away from Naruto. "Tsunade, we need to talk."

"Okay, but hold on a sec." The Hokage ordered. She placed her hand on Naruto's left arm. She found Naruto's major blood vessel. She inserted the needle in Naruto's arm. "This is for the pain." She lied.

"But it does hurt." Naruto whined. Her eye lids felt heavy. "Ero-Sennin, I forgive you. I…" She was out cold.

"Gaki." He said softly. He felt a weight disappeared, but he never got to respond to the blonde. "What did you do to her?" Jiraiya asked.

"I sedated her. Her mental state isn't the best." He eyed her curiously. "It is the Uchiha's fault." She raised her hand to silent him. "I will explain a little bit later. And I can't have her leaving the hospital. As you know, she has an habit of leaving the hospital, when she shouldn't." Tsunade moved away from the sleeping blonde. "What do you have to tell me?"

"Someone sneaked into the Hokage's office sometime, and we don't have a clue how he don't it."

"What?" Tsunade blustered.

"It wasn't today, but it was sometime in the past week. There is a scroll missing. And other scrolls were misplaced. He was looking for something, and I believed he found it." Jiraiya sneered.

"What scroll was it?"

"The scroll was listed, but it wasn't named. No one knows what is in the scroll, but it is rumored to have Konoha's secrets in it." Jiraiya explained. "Anbu is on it."

"This could be a problem." Tsunade sneered. "Do you think this has a connection with the people after Naruto?"

"There is a good chance." He answered. This wasn't good. How could someone sneak into the village without anyone noticing? How could they sneak in the Hokage's office? There was a long silence. "So what did the Uchiha do this time?"

Tsunade told him what Naruto told her. "He only cares about one thing, which is the one thing you always think about." She hissed. No one messed with her 'daughter' the way _he _did and got away from it.

"Don't place me in the same group as _him_." Jiraiya gnarled. _That Uchiha better watch his back._ He thought. Naruto was important to him, and plus, he believed he owed it to Minato to protect and take care of Naruto. "Don't do anything stupid."

"I won't. I just have to keep the Uchiha away from Naruto."

"How will you do that, when the council won't let you? They already have put you on thin ice." Jiraiya stated. The facts didn't help them, but they wasn't going to let that stop them. They were dead set in keeping the Uchiha away from Naruto.

"I am the Hokage. I will find a way, even if it kills me." Tsunade said. "I have to go to the Hokage's office….. I have Anbu here, but.."

"Don't worry. I will stay here with our favorite blonde." Jiraiya grinned.

"Good. If the gaki wakes up, makes sure she doesn't try to leave."

"She has a broken leg and plus an arm. I don't see her going anywhere."

"Did you forget who this is? Naruto can do anything, if she puts her mind to it." Tsunade commented.

"Well, she is a trouble maker."

"Yea, but she is our trouble maker."

* * *

Sasuke sat in total darkness in his house. He was the only soul in the Uchiha Compound, and it looked like he would be the only one ever to live here. He wanted to take back what he said to the dobe. If he never said those things, Naruto would be laying on a hospital bed. He wanted to cry, when he saw her condition. She was cover in blood, and she had broken bones as well. It was his fault that she was like that. He put her through hell. _What went through her mind, when I said those things?_

_She must hate me._ He thought. It was his fault, if she disliked him. _My dobe is forgiving._ He hoped or rather prayed that she would forgive him. She, however, did give her teachers a hard time, when they didn't tell her about her father. He still had a hard time believing that she was the daughter of the Yondaime. If Sasuke cared about bloodline, Naruto would be the perfect person to be his wife with her bloodlines.

That is if he could get his dobe to forgive him. He would do anything to get her back. She was the one for him. She was his soul mate, and he knew it. He wondered if she knew. He doubt it, since he said horrible words to her. He would make her see it, even if it took years. She was the only one he would ever love. He knew from the moment their lips touched. When he had her in his arms, it felt right. It felt natural.

He had to get to Naruto, so he could tell her the true. He doubt he could get close to her, since he believed the dobe had told Jiraiya and Tsunade about what really happened in the cave. He knew they would be out for blood, his blood. They probably thought he was a sex fiend, who just wanted to hurt their 'child.' Naruto was the most important person to them. Tsunade was the Hokage, and she was a problem. She would do anything to keep him away from Naruto. Jiraiya wasn't tied to any rules like the Hokage was. He had a lot more freedom, so Sasuke was in trouble.

He didn't have much time to think, when a knock came at his door. He growled. He didn't have time for this. He made his way through his home to the front door. Not many people came to visit him in the compound. Knocking started to get louder. It was getting rather annoying. He wanted to yell get lost, but Uchiha didn't yell. He opened the door to come face to face with Sakura and Lee. Lee seemed as cheerful as ever. _What made him so chipper?_ Sakura seemed to be glowing, but Sasuke didn't care. "What do you what?" He growled.

Lee and Sakura pushed themselves in, as Sasuke was left to close the door. "No one knows what happened in the cave, since Naruto isn't awake yet. A-" Sakura started.

"And you want to know if I knew what happened to her." Sasuke sneered. "I don't, so go." He ordered.

"Don't talk to my girlfriend like that!" Lee lectured.

"I can handle myself." Sakura corrected as she placed her hand on Lee's shoulder. "Have you see Naruto lately, Sasuke?"

"No." He answered.

This puzzled Sakura. She knew how Sasuke felt about Naruto, so why wouldn't he go see her? "Why?"

"The Hokage ordered me to stay away, and I dare not go against her orders." Sasuke started._ Plus, I doubt Naruto would want to see me right now. I said horrible things to her. I just want to give her a little space, since she is in the hospital. "_Have you seen her?" He asked.

"I saw her early today, since I was working in the hospital today. She still is unconscious." Sakura muttered. "I am not use to seeing her like that."

"Hn." The raven replied.

"You seem down, Sasuke. Are you okay?" Lee noticed.

"Hn." Sasuke had no interest in telling them how he felt or what he did. He just wanted to be left alone as he thought of what to do. He would go to the end of the earth to earn Naruto's forgiveness. He wouldn't beg, but he would do other things to make her see how he felt.

* * *

Tsunade sat in her office. She didn't have a clue about what exactly was in the stolen scroll. That scroll hadn't been touched in years. It was collecting dust in a corner of the study. The only thing she knew about the scroll was that it was written by the Yondaime. How ironic. Ryu must had taken it for his master.

"Hokage, is there a problem?" Kakashi asked as he entered through a window.

"A scroll, written by Minato, went missing, and in a week a tournament will began." Tsunade said. She didn't like it, when people entered through the window.

"Was that what you and the Kazekage were taking and messaging about all this time?" Kakashi asked. He was reading his book as he paid close attention to the woman in front of him.

"Hai. The Kazekage and I have been working on this for months. The tournament is for the best of the best. Any one can join. The first part of the tournament is in Konoha, and the last part is in Suna." Tsunade started. "The winner gets one of their wishes granted as long as it doesn't hurt anyone."

"Hm." Kakashi responded. _I might have to enter_.

"And now, there is the mess with Naruto. There is no doubt that Naruto would want to join the tournament, but I don't want her to."

"No one can stop her, if she wants to do it." Kakashi lectured.

"I know, but it is a great opportunity for that Ryu to take her to his master."

"Naruto is strong. She won't let that happen."_ Again._ He thought.

"I know." Tsunade admitted.

"Can you tell me anymore about this tournament?" He asked. This tournament sounded cool. He had a wish in mind, but he wouldn't reveal it just yet.

"No, I will reveal all the details about the tournament in a couple days, and you will just have to wait like everyone else." Tsunade ordered. She didn't want to talk about the tournament anymore. Naruto was the only thing on her mind.

"How is Naruto?" Kakashi inquired.

"She had waken up, but I sedated her." Tsunade said. The Copy Cat Ninja eyed the Hokage curiously. "Don't get me that look. I don't want her to leave the hospital."

"She has a body guard. I am sure he can take care of her." Kakashi muttered. He stopped dead. Tsunade gave him the dead glare. "What did Sasuke do?" He asked not wanting to know the answer. He knew it had to be bad by the look in her eyes.

"He tried to use Naruto for sex, but she didn't want to, when they were alone in the cave. He was sweet to her just to get sex! He insulted her, after she turned him down!" Tsunade snapped. "She had her heart mashed by that pig." That bastard hurt her gaki, and she wasn't going to let him get away with it. She cared too much for 'daughter' to let that happen. "That Uchiha better watch his back." She snickered. She had a plan going in her head.

Kakashi was in shock. He thought Sasuke loved Naruto. Did Sasuke lie to him? He didn't detect a lie, when Sasuke admitted he cared for Naruto. He had to push him to admit it, however. Could he have said those things out of anger of being pushed to say them by his old Sensei? Or was it that he insulted Naruto out of Angry, because she denied him? "I doubt Naruto would want you to get _revenge_ on himfor her."

"I know, but she is hurt. She just wants to feel love." Tsunade revealed.

"She has many fan boys, who care a lot about her." He laughed. Kakashi thought Sasuke would be a good match for knucklehead blonde kunoichi. He wasn't sure now. Kakashi would do anything to cheer up Naruto. He would make her smile again.

"Yeah that would include the Kazekage." Tsunade laughed. "At least, her fan boys aren't the Blasted Uchiha. I have to come up with a plan to keep him away from the gaki, even if it is the last thing I ever do." She snickered.

"Since the tournament is in a week, we can keep her off of missions without her knowing. She will be too focused in the tournament to notice. And the council can't whine that you disobeyed them, since she isn't on a mission." Kakashi planned.

"And I will have a week plus the length of the tournament to come up with a plan." Tsunade smirked. "Good idea. Hatake." She would come up with a plan, there was no doubt she wouldn't. Life was great.

* * *

It took him forever to get the two lover birds to leave. He was going to see Naruto, no matter what. He was ordered to stay away from her, but he had to see her. He had to tell her how he felt. He had to make things right. Sasuke would sneak into Naruto's hospital room, if he had to. He would do almost anything to see her. He wouldn't beg. He had his Uchiha's pride and everything.

The hallway looked miles long to him as he shuffled down the hall rather slowly. He didn't know what to say to Naruto (if she was even wake) to make it better. The only thing he could do was try, right? He wasn't going to give up no matter what. What an Uchiha wanted an Uchiha got. He wouldn't rest until he got what he wanted. Naruto was what he wanted. He would go a thousand miles for her. He just wouldn't beg.

He found himself outside Naruto's hospital room. He felt more then one Anbu stationed around her room. He felt someone else in the room with his dobe as well. He felt himself growl softly. He felt his heart beat raise. He felt his temperature raise. He hadn't see the Naruto since the day she was bought in. He seized the door knob and pushed it open. There in the a chair in the corner of the room was Jiraiya, who eyed him like a hawk. It sent chills down his spine, but there wasn't any words said.

Naruto laid asleep (well it looked like it) in the bed. Her right arm and left leg were in a cast, but she looked wonderful in his eyes. Sasuke knew she was unconscious, but he didn't know what to make of it. He moved close to her bed slowly. "Don't move any closer." The silent Jiraiya demanded.

"Why is that?" Sasuke gnarled. No one told him what to do. He did what he wanted. He was his own man. And Naruto was his woman, even if it didn't look it.

"I know what you said and did." Jiraiya revealed. His voice wasn't loud, but Sasuke could taste the angry it held.

"How do you know what I said?" Sasuke sneered. He wasn't going to tell the old pervert what he didn't already knew. It would be unhealthy, since the old pervert would probably kill him for what he said to Naruto.

"Naruto told Tsunade."

"How can the dobe do that, if she is still unconscious." Sasuke smirked. _He is just fishing, but he won't catch me._

"If you just want sex, stay away from Naruto. There are plenty of whores, who would love to sleep with you. You might have to pay them though" Jiraiya snickered. He may had been laughing at his last sentence, but he wanted to skin the Uchiha alive. "You should just stay away from her like you said." Sasuke knew Naruto must had told them everything, but why was she still unconscious? "She is sedated." Jiraiya answered the unasked question.

Sasuke wanted to ask why, but he knew it probably was so she wouldn't leave the hospital. "I said what I said out of anger." He explained.

"You wanted sex, and you would do anything to get it. She, however, didn't want to have sex. You tried to push her, but she wouldn't bit." Jiraiya sneered. "Like I said, there are whores who would love to _experience_ you." He grinned.

"You shouldn't talk with your research of yours, pervert!" Sasuke snapped.

"Hmm. You may be right, but hurting Naruto is unacceptable." Jiraiya corrected.

"I didn't mean what I said." He tried to explain. "I said it out of anger."

"I don't want to hear your excuses." Jiraiya responded. He glanced over to Naruto, who was breathing softly. "The gaki is like a daughter to me. I don't want to see her hurt."

"Hn….I know."_ I don't want to see her hurt either._ The raven thought.

"No, you don't. I see how Naruto handles pain, and I don't like it. She puts on mask, and she pulls into herself." The Toad Sage explained. He was dead serious, and it would be deadly to interrupt him. He would so anything to keep the Uchiha away from the blonde. "I won't let Naruto be broken and least of all by you."

"What do you mean by that?" Sasuke vociferated. He didn't like to be insulted, and then the pervert was inferring that he would hurt Naruto. He would never hurt her, well, again. And he was sure he wasn't going break her, if she could be broken.

"Whenever she was in pain, it always about you!" Jiraiya sneered. "I could list all the times, but that would take too long." He paused. "Stay away from her."

"You can't tell what to do." Sasuke smirked. "You aren't lucky enough." He folded his arms across his chest. "I have the council on my side."

"First, you are lucky I don't hurt you for touching her the wrong way. And second, there are ways around the council."

"What do you mean by that?"

"You will have to wait and see." Jiraiya grinned. To say the very least, he would have some fun messing with the Uchiha. This was beginning of the end for that man. The Toad Sage would do anything to keep Naruto safe from that man.

"I will leave now, but there is nothing that you could do to stop me from seeing her." Sasuke vocalized. He would track Naruto to the end of the world if he had to. (Stalker much.) He would make her see his side.

"Didn't you two agree to stay away from each other? I thought there were plenty of girls, who aren't like her, out there. You said you didn't need her." Sasuke glared at him. "Your words not mine." Jiraiya smirked as he watched the Uchiha's face fall.

"As I said, it was out of anger."

"Let me make it clear to you. I. Don't. Care." Jiraiya said. "It seemed like you are angry a lot, and you say nasty things when you are angry."

"What are you saying?" Sasuke snapped. Every time he started to leave, the pervert would say something imbecilic to call him back.

"You will hurt Naruto every time you are angry with your nasty words, and I won't accept that. That is what I am saying."

"Whatever." Sasukegyrated to the door. "I won't hurt Naruto."

"But you already have."

"Hn." Sasuke sighed in defeat, but only this time. He knew the Sage was right, but he was going to make sure it would never happen again.

Sasuke left without a second word. Jiraiya was thankful for that. He couldn't deal with the Uchiha anymore. The Uchiha was pretty darn stupid. It was getting late as the day was coming to an end.

* * *

Awww, Jiraiya is being protective just like a father. It is sad that he is dead (spoiler) in the Naruto Manga. Naruto looked so sad!

Please review, and check out my other story that i just put up.

-Cass


	15. Her Father's House

July 24, 2008

It had been almost month, since i have updated.

I am so sorry, but my sister kept me busy while I was in California.

I did write one shots (and posted them) Every time I write a one shot for her, she would write more of the story that she is working on. You can read them if you like.

Not long after the one shots for my sister, my dog, Mocha, was killed by a motorcycle. I blame my brother since he was supposed to be watching her!! I didn't feel like writing my story for the longest time. (all this happened, when I was in California, so I couldn't even say good bye to my dog, who died in Ohio)

Life sucks. No wait... Yea, Life sucks

My sister, who I didn't even get to say good bye to, proof read the first half of this, so I'm pretty sure that grammar is good. The second half, I was back in Ohio, so she didn't get to proof read it. I hope it is okay!

The second half, I typed on a four-five hour plane ride and I'm so proud of myself!

I hate airports. I had to transfer, so after 4/5 hour plane ride, I had to get on another. But the other had two hour delay! I was pissed. I didn't get to bed until 4:30am in the morning in a messy room, which my side messed up. (I had to wake up at 10am the next morning too)

Then I had to deal with a puppy. My sister got a new puppy; however, I told her I wouldn't help take care of it. But yet I am? How is that? Oh Yea! MY Mother.

and I had to drive my 22 year old brother somewhere to get car parts, since he crashed his 2005 Rams Truck a couple of days ago, and my mother won't yet him drive her 2000 Ford Escort (it is in really good shape. Like brand new). So i got suck driving him around in my mother's gold cat car! (it has cats on it!) My baka for a brother had me waiting in the car for about a hour (if not more) waiting for the guy to get him the parts that he needed!

I had a bad week!! I had a very bad week.

Sorry for the long note, but I had to get it out.

I hope you like this chapter. It is the longest chapter so far, even without the long note I wrote above!

Please Review!!

Oh yea! I don't own Naruto. I just own the OCs and plot (I guess)

* * *

And a special thanks goes to **Iana Sabelle**, who proof this for me!

* * *

Her Father's House

Chapter 15

* * *

Part 15

Naruto felt trapped in herself. She couldn't force herself up. Her nightmares just kept on recurring as if a record that plays repeatedly. She wanted to scream, but she cannot find her voice. She was stuck.

She always had nightmares that she was able to wake herself up, but now Tsunade had sedated her. There was no waking up now until the Godaime wanted her to. Naruto, however, didn't know this, and she couldn't figure out why she couldn't open her eyes. She felt like everyone had forgotten about her. She felt deserted.

It didn't make her feel great to think everyone had forgotten her. She felt the opposite of great for the longest time, and she was sick of it. One, someone is after her, because of her father. Two, She almost lost something very important to her. Three, she opened her heart to _him_, and he broke it in a matter of seconds. Life sucks.

She didn't know how long she had been out. She didn't even know how long she was in this nightmare. To put it lightly, she didn't know anything about her situation.

She has been, or at least been called stupid and she detested it. Now, she felt stupid and this feeling was worse than people calling her so. She just wanted to be liked for who she was, not for pretending to be someone else. If she was to change, she wouldn't be Naruto anymore, just some look alike. She wouldn't stand for sometime like that!

Everything around her started to flash every color in the world. It was pretty to say the least. Something was changing and the blonde couldn't figure out what was happening. She was lost in her own mind. She didn't know what to make of this change of scenery. Objects were manifesting around her. She felt trapped even in this mind change.

Her eyes were shut, and she forced them open. To her disbelief, she was in the boring white room in the hospital. Tsunade was standing at her bed side staring at her and Jiraiya was sitting in the corner of the room.

This room was better than the darkness of her mind, but she still didn't want to be here. The hospital should let her design a room for herself since she was here so many times. If they let her do that, she wouldn't be staring at this white room. It had no creativity. It was like the hospital was waiting for their patients to die. That was why the hospital was colored in white. It would be useless to paint the room for the patient wouldn't be there for long. That was the very reason

why Naruto hated hospitals. It was a bad sign to her, to get the patient out so fast that they would miss something. She didn't want to die just yet. There was so many things that she wanted to do.

Naruto's body felt heavy on the hospital bed. Her leg was no longer broken thanks to the demon fox. Her arm, however, was still broken in a couple of spots. "Obaa-chan, Ero-Sennin. I feel weird." She muttered. Her voice was barely audible.

"I had to sedate you." Tsunade informed her.

"Why?" Naruto asked. Her voice barely audible, still.

"Gaki, you have a habit of leaving the hospital." Jiraiya answered for Tsunade. His eyes wondered from Naruto to Tsunade and back again.

"I know, but do I have to be here. I want to go home." Naruto whined, and her voice was a little bit louder.

"You're not going back to that apartment." Tsunade revealed. "Also, you will have new body guards." Guards. More than one. "You will have two!"

Naruto stared at the Hokage for some time. "I thought that _he_ had to be my body guard in order for me to go on missions."

"You knew about that?" Jiraiya eyed the blonde.

"Hai."

"There won't be any missions for some time anyway." Tsunade told her.

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked.

"You were out for two days, so you didn't hear about the tournament." Tsunade answered the blonde.

"I've been out for TWO DAYS!" Naruto hollered out the last two words of her sentence. She was angry. "Two days! How can you keep me sedated for Two days?! I can't believe you knocked me out for two days. What kin–…. What do you mean by tournament?" She was yelling at them one minute, and the next she was asking about a tournament. She was something, but they didn't know what.

Jiraiya and Tsunade laughed at the girl. She completely changed the subject by herself in a matter of seconds.

"You would be the last person to know." Jiraiya said.

"THAT'S SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO UNFAIR! WHY AM I THE LAST TO KNOW?!" Naruto yelled at the top of her lungs.

"Gaki, my ears!" The toad sage blustered at the blonde in bed.

Naruto rubbed the back of her head and grinned. "Sorry. So Obaa-chan, are you going to explain this tournament to me?" Naruto asked; she already planned to enter the second she heard about it. There was nothing that they could do to stop her even if she had to henge herself, she would.

"Well, I know you'll want to enter. That's why I'm able to get you a new body guard. Chicken Butt was only your body guard because that was the only way to keep you on missions," Tsunade started.

"And now you won't be on missions, since you will be in the tournament. Chicken Butt won't be your guard in the meanwhile. So we have until the tournament is over to find the guy that is after you." Jiraiya finished for the Godaime. "Or you will be put back on missions and the Chicken Butt will be your body guard…..again."

Naruto laughed at their new nickname for the teme. She might even have to call him that. "You two are great." Tears ran down her cheek.

Tsunade sat on the bed and pulled Naruto into a motherly hug. She even kissed the girl on the forehead. "So I take it you agree with our plan?" Naruto nodded in Tsunade's arms. "You will move into your father's house. Anbu will be watching the outside of the house. Sai will be your body guard as well as Kakashi."

Naruto nodded, but she did an anime drop on the inside. Sai was, well, you know, a pervert. He just did a better job at hiding it. And there was a chance that he liked her. Naruto wasn't sure if she could handle another heartbreak. She was sure Sai would do just that. Well, at least Kakashi would be there. On the other hand, she would be living in the same house that her father once lived in. It felt weird, but in a good way. "So what about the tournament?"

Jiraiya remained quiet. The last time that he interrupted Tsunade, he was sent through a wall. He didn't want to go through that again.

Tsunade took in a deep breath. "The first leg of the tournament will be held in the Forbidden Forest, which will lastup to three days. Each player will get one crystal, and there are three different color crystals: red, green, and blue. Green is worth one point. Red is worth two. And Blue is worth five. The higher the rank of a person determines the crystal they get." she paused as she looked at Naruto. "You would get a blue, since you are an Anbu. When you beat someone, you get their crystals. The eight who have the most crystals would then go to Suna. There the eight will fight until there is only one left. The winner will get one wish, but this wish must not hurt anyone in anyway."

Naruto stared at the Hokage for a second. "One wish?" Tsunade nodded. "Hm. I've got something in mind!" They looked at Naruto. "I'm not telling you! NANANANANANA!" She pointed her finger at them. They glared at her childlike behavior.

"Naruto, I must tell you that during the first part of the tournament, you won't have any guards. There will be, however, Ninjas who will not take part of the tournament;they will make sure that nothing goes wrong. They will be like the rule keepers so if someone tried to break the rules, the 'rule keepers' will know. The rule breakers will be kicked out." Tsunade told her. "The ninjas will also look out for trouble makers, who might enter to get you, but there will be times where you will be all alone."

"I get it." Naruto muttered. "So I will have to watch my back!"

"Good, Gaki… since that will be the best time to kidnap you." Jiraiya eyed the injured blonde, but the only thing she did was give him the peace sign. He wanted to hit her on the head for being that naive.

"I doubt they would act then since I had done background checks on everyone." Tsunade revealed. "The tournament will start in five days and everyone should start showing up in a couple of days. The Kazekage will be here as well."

"Yea!" Naruto yelled. "THIS WILL BE SO MUCH FUN!"

"Ouch! Gaki! My ears!" Tsunade and Jiraiya both yelled. They looked like a family. It was so cute.

"So when can I leave this hell hole?" Naruto cried out.

Tsunade glared. "A HOSPITAL IS NOT A HELL HOLE! And you can leave in a couple of hours." She loved the baka, even when Naruto did a number of pranks on her.

* * *

Ryu laughed rather loud when he got his green crystal. It was worth only one point. If they only knew who he was…he was Ryu, who was known for his love to kill. He had killed so many Ninjas just because he wanted to feel their blood trickle on his fingers. He would also kill anyone who got in his way, and was also known for killing children. If he could kill a defenseless child, what could his master do?

Ryu only feared one person—his master, the man that was after Minato's daughter. He wasn't the type of person who you would want to make mad. Ryu would shake at the thought of making his master mad. He was that evil….. Ryu only chased the girl, because he was afraid of that man.

Far from the subject of his master, he was sure his prey, Naruto, would have a blue crystal. The crystals weren't a big deal since he would get the blonde during the first stage of the tournament. He knew the Hokage probably expected him to go after the girl then, but he also knew it would be the best time to get the girl. He knew the daughter of the Yondaime meant a lot to the Godaime and he knew the Godaime would do anything to protect the girl. He had to be careful. On the other hand, Ryu was sure he could outsmart the Hokage. He did once before when he stole the scroll. He knew Tsunade did background checks on everyone (including him) and yet he was able to fool her. He was sure he would be able to do it again. There was no doubt.

The Hokage wouldn't know he had taken the Yondaime's daughter until it was too late. She wouldn't know until the first leg was over, but he would be too far ahead for her to do anything. After he'd handed the girl to his master, he would be free of that cursed man. He would be free to disappear. That was what Ryu planned to do after he handed the girl over.

* * *

Sasuke found himself pacing in the Uchiha Compound. He had to fix the problem he had with the blonde dobe. He hadn't seen her since that day in the hospital. He had to talk to her to straighten everything out. He just needed to talk to her alone which would be a problem however, since he wasn't allowed to see her. The council heard about it and they had Naruto taken off from missions since she was still in danger... so him being her guard was temporarily null since that deal was applicable only so she can go on missions and as of now, she hasn't received any yet. Tsunade just laughed saying she found a loop hole in that bargain.

Then the next day, the tournament was announced. It made sense. Naruto wouldn't be on missions, since she will be in the tournament. Loop hole. Then Naruto would get one wish if she won. He was sure her wish would be to keep him away from her and still be able to go on missions. He was sure that was Tsunade's plan, so he entered the tournament to get that wish for himself and to see Naruto. That would be the only way that he would be able to see her. No one will be able to stop him when they were in the Forbidden Forest. Two could play it that way. That wish would help him get Naruto and there would be nothing Tsunade could do to stop him.

The Hokage glared at him when he entered, but there was nothing that she could do to stop him. He took his blue crystal and walked way. This was how he was for the next day. He just paced as the time went on. He just hoped his plan would work. All his other plans didn't go to well. He tried to go to the hospital, but they wouldn't let him in. They even threatened to call the Anbu or worse, the Hokage, if he didn't leave. He wasn't the kind of person you could order around, but there was nothing he could do.

He stopped by at Naruto's apartment, but it was empty. There was nothing there. All her stuff was moved. It was just an empty apartment. Tsunade musthave moved her. He was screwed, but he wouldn't give up. He would see the blonde dobe in time.

"Just wait. I haven't given up yet." He called out. There was a knock at the door. He wondered, if the person at the door heard him or not. He made his way through the house to the door. To his surprise, it was his old Sensei, Kakashi. He hadn't seen the old man in the last couple of days. In fact, the last time he saw Kakashi was before he talked to Jiraiya at the hospital.

He blinked. Was his old Sensei glaring at him? He was. How odd. He never saw an emotion on the man's face before now. Did he know? Did Tsunade or Jiraiya tell him what happened in the cave? He was sure he would find out in time.

Kakashi pushed passed him without any stupid comment. Something must be up if he didn't say anything like 'cat got your tongue'. Sasuke followed five feet behind him. He wanted to be out of reach, if Kakashi were to hit him. It was unlikely, but he wasn't taking any chances. "What is it, Kakashi?" He asked in his firm hard voice.

"I believe you already know." He snapped back.

Sasuke had to step back. He had never seen Kakashi mad like this before. It freaked him out. His Sensei was known for his carefree personality, since he didn't worry about anything. He snapped at the last Uchiha, and that was weird. He had never seen him lose his cool before.

"I don't, so enlighten me." He snapped right back.

Kakashi glared at Sasuke. "Naruto." He hissed. He was angry, and too bad for the teme, Kakashi was evil when he was angry.

"What about her?" Sasuke asked. He would play dumb. It didn't work all the other times, but it had to work sometime right?

"She is not an outlet for your sick fantasies!" Kakashi gnarled. He was sick of his old student in a matter of seconds.

"It is none of your busy what we've talked about!" What was with all of these people fighting to protect Naruto's honor?

"But it is." Kakashi paused. "I thought you cared for her."

"I do." Sasuke muttered. "But it still isn't any of your business!"

"But it is." Kakashi explained once again. "She is the daughter of my Sensei, and I won't let anything happen to her." His glare wasn't as strong as before, but it was still there. _He may care for her, but he isn't right for her._ He thought. _He isn't ready for a relationship himself. _He told himself. He wouldn't let Sasuke hurt Naruto again.

"I don't care about that."

"This is why you aren't right for her."

"I didn't know it was up to you to decide who I was right for!" The boy hissed.

"I am sick of your smart mouth!" Kakashi blustered. He was angry and he had every right to be, but he had to calm down. He would do something stupid if he let his anger get the best off of him. He cared too much for Naruto to lose himself.

"And I am sick of you!" Sasuke yelled.

"I will leave. You, however, wouldn't get lucky with Naruto any time soon." Kakashi walked past the raven. He was so close to punching Sasuke and he would if he didn't leave. He cared too much for Naruto to hurt her by hurting the teme so he left.

* * *

Naruto stood in her father's house. Her arm was still in a sling, and she felt weird. She felt inferior to this perfect house. It was bigger than her apartment, has around five bed rooms (if not more), two floors in which you could see the second floor from the living room, a big beautiful back yard,and more than one living room as well as other rooms. It was a big house. It even has a large kitchen, but Naruto doubted that she would use it to any degree of success. She was never a good cook.

Sai stood behind her, by the front door. Kakashi wasn't there yet, but he would be in a matter of minutes. Sai's eyes never left Naruto as she walked around the ground floor. He saw her eye the steps, but she looked unsure of herself. It was like she was debating with herself whether or not she should go up. "I'll be down here, if you need me." He told her. She nodded.

Naruto took each step slowly. She had already decided to explore the house. She was glad that Sai decided to leave her alone for this was something she had to do on her own. She found most of the floor boring, but there were a couple rooms that caught her eyes. The first was the nursery. _This was suppose__d__ to be my room._ She couldn't keep the tears in. _They did want me. _She thought.

It was a light orange color. No wonder she loved the color orange! She was in that room for the longest time. There were so many toys and the blonde had to hug all of them, which was one reason it took her so long. The room was filled with baby items that she would have had use if her parents didn't die the day she was born. She cried a good bit before she left the room.

There was a door at the far side of the hallway. She didn't look at the room in between her and the door, but she would eventually. When she arrived at the door, she tried to open it, but it was locked. _I shouldn't open it. It had to be locked for a reason._ She thought for a second. _Hmm, but this is my house now, so I should be allow to open it! _She just had to think of a way to open the door. She tried so many things and was about to give up when she remembered a special jutsu that Ero-Sennin showed her. He told her not to use it if she planned to prank someone with it.

She started the hand signs which were hard since one arm was in a sling. After that, she placed her hand on the door and sent her chakra into it. "Release!" She called out. To her surprise, the door popped open on her first try. "Yes! I did it!" She called out as she did a victory dance.

She went inside the room. It was a study. _Wait, a minute! This has to be my father's study. And he locked it because he was the __Hokage__. _It all made sense. This was where her father worked when he wasn't at the Hokage Tower.

Naruto made her waytowards the desk and wanted to scream at the mess that greeted her. It was hard just to get to the desk without stepping on something. She figured out where she got her messiness from. There were papers everywhere. _He could have just locked it because he didn't want mom to see it._ She thought. The book shelves were in good order, but she could hardly see the floor. She would have to clean up this mess, when she had time. She wasn't in a cleaning mood to do it now though.

She picked up the first thing she saw on the desk. _It must be hard to be the Hokage with all __these__ paperwork. No wonder Tsunade is in a bad mood all the time. _Naruto saw Tsunade in her mind's eye and it wasn't a pretty picture. She took a close look at the papers in her hand._ These papers are dated a day before my birth._ She pulled it in to her chest.

_I wonder if anyone else had looked at these papers. Probably not, since the door was locked. And if they did, they wouldn't have left these important documents here. _She thought. She would look over all of them, she promised to herself. She hoped there were at least copies of these papers in the Hokage's office. She hoped they didn't mess anything special. She sat down on the desk. There were papers everywhere. Naruto put them in a neat column. She pushed the chair back. Something black caught her eyes as she made a move from the desk.

She picked up the frame. Her fingers tightened around it as her heart fell. It was a photo. She wondered why it was faced down on the desk. It looked like something had knocked it down. It had to be the same thing that launched the papers around the room. It didn't matter what or how it happened; what was in the picture was breath taking. There was a blonde well-built tall man who was wearing a jounin uniform under the Hokage's robe. Next to him was a woman with red hair which ended around her mid-back. She looked beautiful. _She's pregnant! _Naruto thought. She looked about seven or eight months pregnant. _Mom, Dad._ She wished she could have met them.

Sadly, she would never get to meet them and would have to settle for stories. She would have to ask Kakashi if he could tell her something about her parents. She pulled the photo to her heart and held the picture in her right arm, which was in a sling. She was taking the photo with her. Naruto made a path through the papers to the study's door. Once outside, she relocked the door, not wanting someone else to go into her father's study.

She just noticed the rooms she passed up when she found a guest room that she might later stay in after she finished looking around. She was at the last room of the house or rather the mansion—yea, it was a big, it even has a gym. She wondered what she would do with all of this space. She could even get lost in this house—no, she **would** get lost in this house.

Her left hand pushed the door open. It was another bedroom but this was more personal. There were more photographs in it. The room didn't look different when she added the photo from the Study.

She walked around the neatly made bed, unlike hers. She hardly ever made her bed, let alone cleans her apartment since she didn't have the luxury of time. Missions took most of her it and now the tournament was coming up. Good thing this place was clean already.

She pushed the closet door open to reveal clothes. On the left were her father's clothes, and on the right were her mother's. She stared at the clothes for some time. She even took a deep breath of all the scents. _This is too much._ Tears flowed from her cerulean eyes as she rested her good arm against her forehead. _I can't take this!_ Her tears soon wet the floor.

She slowly walked away from the closet, crawled on to the bed, held one of the pillows against her chest, and cried herself to sleep. Being a woman was too emotional for her.

* * *

Kakashi stood in front of his Sensei's house. His mind flashed back to all old days, when he was a child. He would come to Minato's house every so often that going back there after all this time was hard on him. Minato was rock for him when he needed him. He just hoped he would able to be a rock to Naruto, who needs one more than ever. It just hurt Kakashi to be here—that Minato couldn't.

The Copy Cat Ninja pushed his way into the mansion. He took a deep breath as he always did, whenever he walked into his Sensei's house. He felt small in this mansion. No one really needed a big home like this. Well, he guessed the Yondaime did. He didn't. So what if his apartment could fit in this mansion about five times, if not more? That didn't make him a lesser man, did it? It was beautiful home though, unlike his tiny apartment which needed work, well, a lot of work.

Kakashi scanned the room to see Sai sitting Indian style on the sofa, drawing something Kakashi couldn't make out of. He really didn't care, anyway. Naruto wasn't anywhere in sight, but he sensed that she was in the house. "Sai."

Said brunet looked up to the older gentleman. "Hai."

"You are supposed to be watching Naruto." Kakashi told Sai. He may had sounded like he couldn't care less, but he did care. If he showed how much he cared, he would drive someone insane.

"Don't have a cow. She's just upstairs." Sai answered. He looked up to only look down in a matter of seconds. It wasn't that Sai didn't care about Naruto because he does. He only acted like that because Kakashi was there. He doesn't believe that Kakashi likes the blonde kunoichi, thus, there was no need to piss him off with being so close to her.

"You aren't supposed to leave her alone." Kakashi stated.

"You try to restrict Naruto."

"I know Naruto doesn't like the situation, but she doesn't have a say."

Sai didn't say anything. He wanted to protect Naruto but he didn't want to overdo it. Naruto wouldn't like it and he didn't want her to be unhappy with him. He wanted her to like him not want to hurt/kill him. "….."

Kakashi sighed. _Something__ tells me that this is going to be very difficult. _He walked away from the brunet.

The stairs didn't come soon enough with Sai eyeing him. He checked a couple of rooms, but there was no sight of the blonde Anbu Captain. She couldn't be in the study since it was locked and no one knew how to unlock it. There were very important scrolls and jutsus in that room that on one could get to, but at least they were safe. The last room which he didn't check yet was Minato's bedroom.

The doorknob was cool to the touch and the door opened, revealing the room to him. He scanned the room to see a girl sleeping on the bed, curled up with pillow on her right arm, her left arm holding a photograph. She looked rather uncomfortable in that sling. Kakashi shuffled to the bed. "Naruto," he whispered noticing that the bed was wet with her tears.

He slowly took the photograph from her and felt his heart fall when he saw the people in the picture. He had a good idea who was in the photo before he looked, but looking at it was hard.

Naruto's mother and father were good people. It pained Kakashi that Naruto would never know her parents. He put the picture down on the end table, took a blanket from the closet and covered the sleeping girl.

He gently sat on the bed next to Naruto, careful not to wake up the girl. He moved the hair out of her face… She was breathing-takingly beautiful when she was out like this. He just wished that she wasn't in this situation and to make matter worse, she was facing the haunting past, her past. She was up against ghosts…….Just don't tell her that! She's scared to death of ghosts.

She was in the house of her father that she never knew. She was faced with emotions, she never knew she had.

He wondered what was going on through her head when she walked in this room, her father's and mother's room.

Minato was a great man. He wondered if Naruto would personally ever know that. Kakashi ran his fingers through her hair, before he rose from the bed. He was going to leave her in the room, but he would have to check up on her every so often, not wanting to leave her in this emotional state, and time.

He had to make her feel safe. That included making her feel loved. She also needed to know about her father, the man who gave up everything to protect the ones he loves. Kakashi knew that her father loved her with every fiber of his being. He even saw it in Minato's eyes when he found out he was going to be a father. He also saw it whenever he was near Kushina. He walked out of the room and head to Sai, who was in the very same spot when he left him.

* * *

I hope there wasn't too many grammatical errors!

Thanks for reading. I will update my Gundam seed story next, if any one of you are wondering!

Please Review!!

Thanks

-Cass

Is it weird that My Uncle and Aunt each have a myspace?


	16. Countdown

* * *

8/10/08

Hello there. Kiragirl17 is back with another chapter. Yeah me!

I hope you like this chapter. I worked so many days and hours on this.

This story is coming to an end rather fast, but don't worry, I plan to come back with a sequel. I already know how I want to start it, but you will have to wait until this story is over. I give you clue. It has to do with Minato...but in this season Naruto will get to meet Ryu's master and mistress in a couple chapters, and everything will be revealed.

I hate community days. My only friends are my laptop and the internet. There is nothing else to do!

There was this reviewer, who pointed out some grammars/typos out in the beginning chapters. **Burnsky** didn't have an email to contact her/he, since they didn't want to be yelled at by me since they were yelled out by another author for being in their grammar high horse. She/he pointed out some of my mistake... I would fix them and everything, but those chapters aren't uploaded to the sight, and I don't feel like uploading them again (too much work). So **Burnsky**, I am not mad. In fact, I like it since it means that someone is reading my story with an open mind! And you're not the first to comment on my grammar, so don't feel bad. I have been looking for a beta reader to beta my story, but I rather it be a person, who is reading my story to begin with. So everything is okay!

I don't own Naruto!

btw, this chapter is my longest to so far. It's about 6,000. Yeah me!

* * *

and a special special thanks **Iana Sabelle** who proof this chapter for me as well!

* * *

Chapter 16

Countdown

* * *

Part 16

* * *

Naruto woke up when the sun shone through the windows. At first she forgot where she was, and it took her a second before she figured out. She didn't move from her spot on the bed,she loved the sound of it. She pulled the pillow which was still wet from her tears, to her chest with her sore right arm (finally better!). She laid there in a ball for an hour before getting up.

Her feet touched the floor and she made her way to the long mirror in the room. _This had to be my mother's mirror._ She thought to herself. She nodded before studying herself in the full length mirror, and noticed that she has light shadows under her eyes and her cheeks were tear-stained.

Her clothes were a mess and her hair seemed to have a mind of its own. She was a major mess but she was at least a cute mess. She ran her fingers through her hair before she tried to rub away her dried tears. Lastly, she tried to straighten out her clothes but over all, she was still a mess. She would have to take a bath later after breakfast. _What's the point? I'm meant to be alone, anyway._

She could visualize what her life could have been if her parents were alive. _Naruto, a five year old child was studying herself in the mirror trying on her mother's clothes. Her mother walked in and smiled. Soon after that, her father walked in with a camera taking photos of her mother and her playing dress up. Little Naruto __in turn__ jumped __onto __Minato and he held her tight against his chest. _They could have been a loving family. She could imagine how her life could have been if they were alive_…… Don't go there!_ Her voice of reason warned her. It would hurt too much. She forced her fantasies out of her mind. She needed to be strong now. She had too much on her plate already.

She headed to the huge kitchen that she would probably destroy sometime in the near future. She wasn't a good cook, thus the reason for the five-minute ramen in her kitchen cabinets. It wasn't that she didn't like to cook; it was more like she never had a mother to teach her how. If she knew how to cook, she would have, she could have saved herself from eating out all the time. It cost more money to eat out instead of cooking food yourself. She sighed. It would be unlikely, however, for her to buy food to cook anyway, since no one wanted the 'demon' in their place of business.

A sweet aroma greeted her and filled her nose when she arrived on the first floor. It smelled like nothing she had ever eaten before. A smile soon appeared on her face. Food was the way to a man's heart as well as Naruto's. (an: don't tell her fan boys, if they don't already know.) Food was also one of best way to cheer the kunoichi up. Naruto hoped that he made some food for her as well. If he didn't, then she would just have to steal some. It would be a blast to make Kakashi or Sai mad…….well, they never were very emotional but hey, she enjoys a challenge.

The kitchen came into view and she saw Kakashi standing in front of the stove making eggs with bacon, potato, and other breakfast foods. Two empty plates lay on the counter top. The Copy Cat Ninja filled the plates with food which all looked very delicious to Naruto. Kakashi returned to the stove seconds later. "Naruto, wipe your mouth and take a seat." He ordered. No one could see it but the older Shinobi was smiling.

"H-how did you know it was me?" Naruto asked as she wiped her mouth dry. She was insulted by his statement no matter how true it was. Her mouth was watering even as she wondered how he knew what she was doing when he had his back to her.

"You are very predictable... and I could hear your stomach." He grinned. He even laughed when Naruto wrapped her good arm around her stomach as she blushed. Her face was redder then a tomato. His smile grew, but it was invisible under his mask. _She is so __innocent_, he thought. That was what made her cute. That was also why he loved her. She didn't let the world changer her like the way it changed him.

She took a seat as he placed the food down, in front of her. "Where is Sai?"

He sat down across from her with his own plate of food. "He's with the Hokage."

She responded by taking a big bite of his home-cooked meal. "This is delicious. I didn't know you could cook." She was happy. Like stated before, food was the way to Naruto's heart.

"Thanks, I try."

"……Can I ask you something?" Her voice was just above a whisper.

"Sure."

"Well more than one thing, actually." She looked down, while she played with her fingers.

"Sure." He said, losing his patience. She was beating around the bush. He hated it, when people beats around the bush.

"You don't have to, if-"

"Naruto." He interrupted. "Out with it!"

She became rather quiet. It was an uncomfortable. Naruto didn't want him to yell again since she already felt depressed from her situation with Yukio and (even) Minato. She didn't need anything else on top of that. "Nevermind." She stood from the chair. Her plate found a spot in the sink. "I'm going to train."

Kakashi felt horrible. Naruto was already in a weakened state. He sighed. He was really stupid and he wasn't going to let it end that way. She walked past his chair and he wasn't taking any chances. He grabbed hold of her wrist and pulled her back to him making her fall into his lap. He didn't mean for that to happen but hey, he wasn't complaining. "I'm sorry." He wrapped his arms around her waist.

Naruto blushed intensely, she had never been this red in her entire life. She was sitting on her Sensei's lap and he had his arms around her. She was trapped in his arms…… She could feel her body react to his. She could feel his body and she was losing focus on what was going on around her. Man, she hated being a woman. Why are women weak around the knees? "Sensei," she uttered.

Kakashi chuckled in his mind at Naruto's reaction. She was so naive and innocent in this subject. He, on the other hand wasn't so innocent. Just ask any of the women that he had been with. He could make them weak in the knees just as easily. But he didn't mean anything by this notion. It was a mistake. He wanted to, though. He wanted to kiss her. He wanted to do his wild fantasies to her. He wanted her to be the one. There were just too many problems with that. One, she wasn't in the right place for a relationship. Two, he didn't think it would work out anyway since

he was her Sensei, and there was an age difference. Why couldn't he be a little bit younger? Three, her father was his Sensei. "I didn't mean to yell."

Naruto looked up at him. She nodded, but she didn't force herself out of his arms. She rather liked the safe feeling she had being in his arms, but she wasn't going to admit it to Kakashi.

"So tell me what you wanted to ask me before."

"Well, I wanted to know more about my father."

"And?" He pressed on. He knew she would ask him to talk about her father, his Sensei. It still hurt that Minato was gone. He should have let the third do the seal but Minato was too stubborn, which was where Naruto got it from.

"I was also wondering if you would teach me how to… cook." She blushed even more.

Kakashi laughed. He expected her ask him to help her train for the tournament. "Sure, but that wasn't what I expected from you."

"What did you expect?" Naruto eyed him.

"I was expecting you to ask me to help you train for the tournament."

Naruto who still sitting on her Sensei's lap, rubbed the back of her head. "Can you help me with that too?" She was just too innocence and it was driving Kakashi insane. He wanted to jump at her right now and get it over with since he knew that he wouldn't be able to resist an angel like her for much longer. He could have to deal with the consequences later, if he jumped at her. "Hai."

She wrapped her good arm around his neck making them all the more look rather intimate. Her head rested on his shoulder. "Thanks."

"It is nothing." He chuckled, mind was running wild. Kakashi was a pervert. It was that simple. It was a bad idea to be in this position with a hot girl, who he deeply cared for. "I have to something to do, but I can't leave 'til Sai comes back."

"Okay." She blushed as she looked down. She wiggled out of his arms.

* * *

Naruto was in her father's study later that day. Kakashi was gone and Sai checked up on her every half an hour. She didn't mind at all, but that was because she was busy cleaning up Minato's office. She was proud of herself. She was a messy person and yet she was able to clean up this messy office. She had all the scrolls put away and the important documents filed. Naruto smiled. At least, she was able to do something good. Now, she was sittingon her father's chair thinking about everything. She sighed.

_I'm taking this off!_ The sling was a pain in her ass. She threw it across the room. Her arm wasn't broken anymore, but that didn't mean it was a hundred percent ok. It still hurt like hell if she over used it. Tsunade was coming down tomorrow with Gaara since he was due to arrive with his sibling, to check her arm. Naruto hoped she would get the okay to train since the tournament was in four days. She couldn't wait.

She was in same thinking position like most people when they sat at their desk. Naruto gritted her teeth due to her right arm that started to hurt. Her pain was visibly written on her face. This pose was putting too much stress on her weakened arm. She hated being restricted like this.

"Naruto, you shouldn't put too much pressure on that arm. It isn't completely healed yet." Naruto looked towards the door way to see her fellow teammate, Sakura, who stood in middle of the door way. "And you shouldn't think that hard either. You might injure something."

"Everybody thinks, Sakura!" Naruto said in her cheerful voice, pretending to be insulted. Her pain seemed to disappear for a moment.

"What are teammates for?"

"Where is Lee?"

"He's talking to Sai downstairs." Sakura was glowing. She took a seat down in front of the blonde. "Why are you in the Yondaime's study?"

"I can't train. I can't leave……I can't do pretty much anything." Naruto whined. "There are a lot of interesting things in here." Naruto rested her injured arms on the cherry wood desk. "So why are you here?" Naruto asked with a questioning look in her eyes.

"Why? Can't I visit you without the third degree?" Sakura waved off.

Naruto eyed her. "I know you. What is it?" Sakura and Naruto were so close that one could always tell when the other was up to something, and Sakura _was_ up to something. There was no doubt about it. "Just tell me."

"It's about Sasuke." Sakura paused.

Naruto cut in before Sakura could say anything else. "I don't want to talk about Chicken Butt." Naruto's mood was going downhill, fast.

"I know, but he didn't mean to say those things." Naruto looked at her with utter disbelief. "Don't look at me like that. Sasuke is known to say anything, when he's angry."

"I don't care. He said horrible things to me."

"I know, but Sasuke had been depressed, since he isn't allowed to see you…… He loves you!" Sakura revealed to the naive blond.

"And he has a funny way of showing it!"

"He isn't good at showing his emotions."

"Don't defend him. Let him defend himself." Naruto folded her arms against her chest. Her arm was still hurting, but she could deal with it.

"He can't. Tsunade won't let him see you!" Sakura slammed her fists down against the desk. "He wants to, trust me. It's just that the Anbu won't let him within a hundred feet of this house." Sakura remained standing.

Naruto let out a sigh. "Even if I was ready to forgive him, I can't. In the cave, that teme reminded me of guy who tried to r-rape me." Her hair hid her azure eyes.

"…"

"I had to live through all the emotions again……I'm not a sex object." Naruto brought her arms to her chest. "Any ways, neither I nor Sasuke are ready for a relationship. I'm really not in the right place, at the moment."

"That is understandable."

"Besides, I'm not sure about my feeling anymore."

"Wait…….THERE'S ANOTHER GUY, ISN'T THERE?" Sakura gasped. _Naruto likes another guy. That will break Sasuke._ She paused in her thoughts when Naruto didn't make eye contact. _It's okay, if she likes someone._ She lied to herself.

"No, there isn't." Naruto paused. "But I feel different around this guy. My heart beats fast and I lose all train of thought." Sakura was waiting for a name. _I can't tell her who. She would think I'm crazy, if I tell her what happened in the kitchen today._

"Well, who is it?"

"…….I wanted to keep it to myself." Naruto paused. "I'm not ready for a relationship anyway, so what's the point of analyzing my feeling or anything like that?" She sat back on her chair, or rather her father's chair. It gave her a sense of power.

"Naruto." She spoke in a low voice. She decided to change the subject. "So are you entering the tournament?"

"Yep, are you?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Don't tell anyone, but I'm…" Sakura began as she placed her hand on her stomach. She smiled as she spoke. She was truly glowing.

Naruto rose from her seat rather fast. "Sakura, are you getting fatter? Are you eating too much?" She joked.  
Sakura wanted to punch her. "NO, BAKA."

"Don't hurt me…. I just can't believe you are pregnant." Naruto felt something in her chest, but she brushed it aside. "How far along?"

"A couple of months."

Naruto smiled. "I am so happy for you!" She paused before offering, "If you need anything, I will be there. I would love to help."

"Thanks, Naruto. I might take you up on that offer." Sakura paused. "I don't know if I can handle Rock Lee and his Sensei."

* * *

The Next Day.

Naruto sat on the sofa, waiting; Sai was sitting on the sofa across the room and Kakashi was in a different room talking to Sakura about God knows what. Naruto's best guess was Sasuke, but she couldn't be sure. Her mind was on the Kazekage and Hokage. They were due to arrive soon and she couldn't wait. Sai, on the other hand wasn't in a good mood. He disliked the Kazekage and his family although he liked them better than the Uchiha.

There was a knock at the door. Naruto jumped up the next second. She opened the door to see Tsunade, Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro. Tsunade glanced over the sun kiss blond. "Gaki, where is your sling?"

"It was annoying me!" Naruto took off as Tsunade chased her around the house.

"Gaki, if you end up killing yourself, I will kill you."

"How is that possible?" Naruto hollered back to Tsunade as the two ran all around the estate. (By the way, Naruto's arm is perfectly fine now.)

"I will find a way!"

"You don't want me hurt, so if you harm me, wouldn't that be hurting me!"

"Gaki, shut that smart mouth of yours."

At that moment, Kakashi and Sakura came out to see what was going on. Their mouths fell at the sight of the Godaime and the daughter of the Yondaime, along with Sai who was in utter disbelief. Temari and Kankuro were on the ground laughing their asses off. Gaara was also in a state of shock but hid it better than Sai. He was judging whether to jump in or not. The Tournament was in three days. They didn't have time for this.

* * *

Hours later

Tsunade was back in the Hokage's office with Sai and Kakashi. One of them was supposed to be with Naruto at all times but Tsunade said she needed to see them both immediately. Tsunade thought it would be okay since Temari, Kankuro, and Gaara were with Naruto. Sai was rather upset to say the least. He didn't want to leave Naruto with the Sand siblings let alone Gaara, since he knew that the Kazekage liked Naruto and that Kankuro and Temari would do anything to get them together. Kakashi had mixed feeling, but there was nothing for him to do.

Naruto was laying on her stomach in the living room studying some of the scrolls from her father's study. She was rather protective of these scrolls. She didn't let them out of her sight or even let anyone else but her touch them. She wasn't going to let anything happen to them. She even put more than one Jutsu on her father's study. These scrolls were really important to her, and she wasn't taking any chances.

Gaara sat on the sofa. He was doing some paperwork while watching everyone's favorite blonde. Temari and Kankuro were training in the enormous back yard that could fit more than one training field. Naruto couldn't wait until she could train, which wouldn't be until tomorrow. But at least, she had some new Jutsu to read about.

"Naruto, what's so special about those scrolls?" Gaara asked as he looked down at her body. She looked rather hot as she swung her legs back and forth.

Naruto didn't even look up. "It belonged to my father."

"…"

"It's okay!" Naruto cheered as she picked up the important scrolls. She rolled the one she was studying up and sat down next to the red head. He seemed emotionless, but Naruto wouldn't give up on him. She would make him show some kind of emotion, even if it killed her.

"Hn."

"Can you not do that?"

"Sure." One word, well it wasn't really a word, made her sweat and Gaara noticed it. He was sure it has something to do with the last Uchiha.

They sat there talking. They were there for hours and it was only a matter of time before Temari and Kankuro comes in.

Temari giggled at the sight of the two. Kankuro was trying his best not to burst out laughing. Naruto and Gaara were sleeping rather intimately close on the sofa. Naruto had her face on his chest and Gaara had his arm wrapped around her waist. Scrolls rested on the floor close to the sofa.

"Should we wake them?"

"No," Temari answered. She turned to leave the room. The Sand Sibling was staying in the house for a couple of days. There was no other better place for them to stay in since this place already has Anbu watching it. "I'm going to bed, but I want to be up when they wake up."

Kankuro snickered. "I agree. I have to see their faces."

* * *

Two days before the tournament, the following day.

Naruto laid on the sofa still sleep. She had a good night sleep. It was the best sleep she had in years. She felt warm and safe, and she had no idea why. She couldn't guess why even when she tried her best to think about it. She forced her eyes open to see chest. She looked down to see an arm wrapped around her waist, making her turn red. She was redder a tomato, when she realized who's arms she was in.

Gaara lay still asleep. When she first met the boy, he wasn't able to sleep. Now he could since his demon was gone, but it still was a weird sight.

Naruto had a habit of getting into awkward positions with men. And in every situation, she would turn into a bright red tomato. What was wrong with her? If there was nothing wrong with her, then what was wrong with all these men? Was the human race going insane? It had to be in Naruto's eyes. It was all sex crazy! To add to that, it seemed like everyone wanted to get into her pants. Even people she didn't know would stare at her like she was some piece of meat. Poor Naruto! She was too innocent for this perverted world that she was living in.

Naruto didn't want to wake up the sleeping Kazekage who would surely make the situation worse if he woke up. She wiggled slowly out of his warm arms. She stood for a second as she looked at him. She picked up her scrolls from the night before and dropped them off in the study.

The sun was shining through the empty hallway. It was an hour past dawn. The house was very quiet since Naruto was the only one up at the moment. Naruto was a morning person so she was always the first one up. Her shadows moved around the upper half of the house. Her fingers ran along the walls.

Naruto wanted to get outside but she wasn't allowed to leave the house. She stood on the steps as she looked out to the backyard. It was a big backyard. She couldn't even see the whole of it, that a person could easily get lost in it.

The window that overlooks her backyard reflected her image that shows how worried she looked like._ I__'m__ going to the backyard. There are Anbu watching the whole estate, so I should be fine._ Naruto soon found herself at the French glass doors. She pushed them wide open.

The backyard was even bigger then what it looks like from the inside the house. It was about the size of five training fields. There was a pond in the back and across it was a big garden, and a couple of benches between them can be found. In the area in front of her, was a long empty green patch of grass. It was probably were her father trained since at the far end of the patch are some training equipment. She wasn't in the mood to train at that moment. She just had a weird/bad week.

She took a seat on the cool ground next to the pond that still has some fishes and even a couple of toads in it, and a tiny water fall. She ran her fingers through the water. It was cold, but she didn't mind it.

She could sense the Anbu watching her. She wanted to be alone but she wasn't going to get that lucky. She needed to be alone. _They are just doing this to protect you._ She hated this. She could protect herself……well, maybe she couldn't. Anyway, she didn't need a babysitter…… well, maybe she did. She didn't want to be treated like a baby. _I'm not a baby!_ She whined in her head. _And only babies whine!_

* * *

Kakashi didn't know what to make of the day before. Sakura had a talk with him about Sasuke; Tsunade chased Naruto around the estate and even had a talk with him about Sasuke; When he came back to the house, Naruto and Gaara were sound asleep on the sofa. It felt like something was cutting at him when he saw them, but he didn't wake them up. It wasn't his place to wake up the blonde. Sai was about to, but Kakashi just sent him away. It really wasn't Sai's place either!

Kakashi couldn't sense Naruto in the house. He found his anger raising. _How could she leave the house?!_ He yelled in his mind. His body froze on the steps when he saw her outside beside the pond. She ran her fingers through the water. _She looked so……_ He shook his head. He couldn't think about these things. It wouldn't be right. Besides, if what Sakura said was right, Sasuke still loved the blonde Kunoichi. It was probably true. The Uchiha was never good with his words or emotions. Kakashi should have known that, but he wasn't going to rush anything with Sasuke and Naruto.

* * *

Naruto felt someone coming her way, but she didn't even take a glance. "Hai, Sensei?"

"You make me feel old." Came his response. He stood behind her.

"Buuut you are old!" She was hyper as normal, but there was a hint of sadness in her voice. It was only visible if you were looking for it.

"That makes me feel just great." He played with her. He really didn't mind her comment. It was something that he enjoyed.

"Don't feel bad. Anyone older than me is an old goat."

"That's good. So what does that made Tsunade?"

"A really old goat!" Came Naruto's cheerful answer.

"Just don't let her hear you say that. You know how she feels about her age." Kakashi chuckled. Never ever talk about the Hokage's age if you don't want to die! He placed his hand on her shoulder. "So do you want train? Only a couple of days left before the tournament."

She turned to face Kakashi. "ONLY TWO DAYS! THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS I NEED TO DO AND I WAS DOING ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ALL DAY!" She jumped on her feet with her fists in the air.

"Okay." He waved his hands in defense. "Let's get going then."

* * *

The next morning: a day before the tournament.

Naruto found herself in her father's study yet again. She was still tired from training with Kakashi and Sai since he joined them. They were training for sometime yesterday, they had a lot to do, well in Naruto's eyes they do.

But that was yesterday, and today's a new day. Naruto yawned. She had too many things to do 'til the start of the tournament the following day. She decided to study the scrolls in her father's study since this was the only place she could think.

Never put Sai and Gaara in a room and expect to get work done. They always had remarks about the other one. Naruto could only stand an hour in a room with them before she starts to pull out her hair. What was it with boys that they always had to top one another?

Naruto looked up from the desk. She heard footsteps coming her way. She left the door open. She didn't like to close it whenever she was in there; she didn't like to be closed in. She had developed claustrophobia. She could thank Yuki for that. He made her jump every time she heard a sound, made her sweat every time she was in small rooms. It sickened her. _Calm down, Naruto. No one is going to get you in a house filled with all your friends._ Footsteps became louder. Her heart was beating rapidly against her chest. She tried to look calm, but she failed.

She closed her eyes. "How did you get in here?"

Naruto's heartbeat began to slow down. Cerulean eyes looked up to see a certain silver haired jounin. "Jiraiya showed me a couple unlocking jutsu, and one of them worked on the door." She smiled as she tried to hide her fear from before.

"There are lots of important things in this room." Kakashi saw her fear when he first walked into the room. He also saw it vanished little by little. It broke his heart.

"I know." She answered. She showed him a scroll she was studying. "I take no one was able to unlock this room?"

"Yep, no one has ever been able to unlock it……It has been many years since I have been in this room." He looked around. "It seems like you cleaned up." She nodded. "Minato-Sensei was a messy person. It drove me crazy." He laughed as he thought about it.

"So you and my father were close?"

"Close as any student and Sensei are." He answered.

"Can you tell me something about him?"

"He loved ramen just like you." Kakashi said as he remembered eating with that man. Minato could eat. "But I bet he could out eat you."

Naruto jumped up and flexed her muscles. "No one can out eat me in ramen eating!" She cheered. "I'm the ramen ki—queen." It was still hard for her to kick off the habit of referring to herself as a boy.

"Hm."

"What?"

"You are just as hyperactive as your mother, Kushina," Kakashi revealed to the girl. "However, your father, Minato, was calm and collective." He said as he looked at a photo of the famous couple.

"Really?" Naruto asked. He nodded. _I act like my mother and look like my father._ She smiled. She had both of them in her. She wanted it that way.

"I don't know how Minato handled Kushina." He looked up. "She was a handful. She was like a bomb, when it goes off… out of control."

"Wait a minute."

"What?" Kakashi asked playing dumb.

"Does that mean you think I'm a handful?" Naruto asked with an evil look on her face. When Naruto had an evil look in her eyes, run away in the opposite direction! She could be very dangerous when she wanted to be.

"Hai." Kakashi said with no hint of fear. He was going to have some fun with her today just like Minato would with Kushina. It was clean fun, wasn't it?

"What's that suppose to mean?" Naruto jumped on the desk. Kakashi remained sitting. He knew how to push her buttons. "Answer me!"

"Are you that stupid?"

That was it. Naruto jumped on him, but he disappeared. It was a clone! _When did he __switch__ himself?_ She thought. It didn't matter thought. She would hunt him down and would get back at him. She knew he was only teasing her, but that didn't mean she would let him get away with it. It was all good fun, right?

* * *

Sai sat on the sofa drawing his favorite blonde when a certain silver-haired Jounin popped in. Sai eyed him, but didn't say anything. He returned to his drawing which was what he did most of the time. He was rather quiet, since he got here. It was so unlike him. It was like was he was replaced with someone else. Sai only moved when he needed or wanted to. He was like a robot in some way.

Kakashi stared at the ex-root member who he didn't trust much to begin with. But now, he really didn't trust him. He seemed different like he was someone else. Kakashi froze. It couldn't be true, right? It had to be Sai. It couldn't be a fake. Kakashi moved his hand to his hitai-ate. He had his Sharingan eye ready. He glazed over the brunet. _See, Kakashi. You were just over reacting. _He lowered his hitai-ate back over his eye. It was really Sai.

There was a knock at the door. Kakashi opened it to reveal Jiraiya. He looked like he got beaten up. "Caught peeking again, I take it." Kakashi responded. Sai never looked up from his sketches.

"How did you know?" Jiraiya joked. That was what he gets whenever he spied on Tsunade in the hot springs. He was lucky she didn't kill him.

"Well-" Kakashi started.

"KAKASHI, YOU BETTER GET YOUR BUTT BACK HERE!"

"Kakashi, why is Naruto yelling at you?" Jiraiya eyed him.

"I was teasing her." Kakashi rubbed his head.

"I see it now." Jiraiya realized. _I should have realized it sooner._ He thought.

"See what?"

"You like her."

"She is the daughter of my Sensei." Kakashi didn't deny it nor did he admit it and Jiraiya noticed that.

"And?" Jiraiya wasn't going to let him off the hook.

"I do-" Kakashi began but once again, someone interrupted him.

"KAKASHI, I'M GOING TO GET YOU," Naruto cried out at the bottom of the steps. She didn't notice Jiraiya 'til she jumped on Kakashi's back. "You better take that back, Sensei." She ordered from the nice spot on his back.

"Take what back?" Kakashi asked innocently. He didn't mind the hundred pounds addition. He rather enjoyed it.

"You know……Hey Ero-Sennin!" She said when she finally noticed Jiraiya.

"Stop calling me that!" Jiraiya yelled at the blonde. He maybe a pervert, but that didn't mean he wanted to be called that in public.

"Did you get caught peeking again?" She asked still on Kakashi's back. She thought nothing wrong with her position on her Sensei's back, far too innocent. She just enjoyed messing with him. Kakashi was fun to play with. (Not that way, you sick perverts!)

"Maybe." Jiraiya eyed her. _She is still on his back and she's acting like it's no big deal. Maybe she likes him as well._ "The tournament starts tomorrow and you two are playing around when you have more important things to do."

"I know." Naruto finally jumped off Kakashi's back. "Let's go train."

Naruto and the others made their way outside, Sai even joined them. He didn't say much but he did take part in the training, which he badly needed. He was taking part in the tournament as well. What would be his wish?

Aside from that, Sai wanted to keep an eye on Kakashi and Naruto. They seemed to be spending a lot of time together. He maybe her bodyguard, but she was spending a little too much time with him. To add to that, She was laughing and having fun with him. There was even a smile on her face.

It made Sai burn up in side. He thought he just had to worry only about Sasuke Uchiha since he knew the other fan boys didn't have a chance. Kakashi would be harder to deal with. But then again, Kakashi could control himself. The Uchiha on the other hand would do anything to get what he wanted.

The Chicken Butt was a real pain in Sai's butt whenever he saw him. Sasuke wouldn't take no as an answer, when it comes to Naruto. _"Where is she?" "How is she?" "Take me to her or else." "Hurt her and you will never see daylight again." __"Touch her and I will kill you." "Even think about her and your life will be forfeit in the most painful way." "She's mine." _Sasuke's words wouldn't stay out of Sai's head. It was haunting him. He just hoped that Sasuke would stay away from Naruto in the Forbidden Forest the next day, though he doubted he would. That Uchiha was annoying.

* * *

I hope you like this chapter and don't worry if you point out my mistakes. I promise I won't attack you!

Please review.

I love it when people review!!

Thanks for reading!

-Cass


	17. The beginning of the end

8/27/08

Hey, i'm back! Sorry it took me so long. I had alot on my plate.

but thank you all for reading my fanfiction.

I want to give a special thanks to Iana Sabelle, who proof this for me. And thanks for the advice.

I don't own Naruto, so don't sue me. If i own Naruto, it be totally different.

Please review and comment. This is my longest chapter so far!

* * *

The beginning of the end

Chapter 17

* * *

Sasuke couldn't stop dreaming about Naruto. In every dream, he had her under him screaming his name. It was nonstop, and now he would have to take a very long cold shower when he gets up. He, however, didn't want to get up. He wanted to dream more about his future wife.

The tournament was today, and this was his only chance to get to the blonde. No one would be able to stop him. He just needed to get out of bed to get ready since the tournament starts is a few hours.

He pushed himself out of bed, and then he took a shower. After all that, he made himself a small breakfast. He wasn't the best cook, but he was better than Naruto. Well, anyone was better than Naruto when it came to cooking.

Sasuke stood up and went to the front way. He had a couple of hours before the start of the tournament, and he had a couple of things he had to do.

The village was especially busy today, thanks to the tournament. The same people looked all so different. They had eyes of all different colors. Even the color of their skins was a rainbow.

Some people were tiny, while others were giants (not literally!). They were just very big. They had five feet more than the Uchiha.

"Things are going to be very interesting," Sasuke smirked as he walked past the crowd.

* * *

Ryu was already at the forbidden forest. He had his reasons for being hours early, but he wasn't the only one there. There were a few people present, but Ryu had been there since midnight. He wanted to increase the probability of successfully kidnapping the girl. His efforts, however, weren't very helpful since the 'rule' ninjas were already here. There wasn't much that he could do.

Rye was wearing long black pants and a black sleeveless shirt, guards on his hands, and a long silver sword on his back and a pouch with Kunai in it. He wasn't wearing any hitai-ate, but he was more skillful than any jounin.

As he sat on a tree overlooking the whole area, his red hair shined in the morning lights and the sudden gush of wind that blew through gave it life. An evil smirk was plastered on his face as the sun caught his eyes that sparked malevolently.

From this spot on the tree, Ryu would see Naruto enter the area. He would then follow her, and when he had her alone, he would knock her out and bring to his master, a man who could skin a baby alive and not feel a thing.

Ryu laughed silently, catching sight of a few crystals holders. This tournament would have been fun. Too bad, he would have to cut his visit short. He could have won this thing. He could have gotten one wish. However, there wasn't any thing that came to mind. He would have thought of something through, if he wanted to. He could have wished that no tracker ninja would come after him from now on. He could have lived his missing-ninja life in peace.

"This will still be fun." Ryu commented. He was in no way a pervert like Yuki…… Well, he was a pervert, but only a tiny bit. In his defense, all men are perverts in a way. Any ways, Ryu was respectful when it came to the subject of sex, but in other subjects, he got what he wanted. "Just wait, Miss Fox. We will see each other soon enough," he smirked, remembering her smell.

* * *

_"Mommy!" A small girl ran through the house. She had shoulder-length blonde hair and cerulean eyes. Her flora orange and white summer dress flowed around her. "I can't find my toy fox." the girl cried out._

_Her mother, a woman with bright red hair came into sight. Her smile went from ear to ear at the sight of her daughter. "Naruto, did you lose Foxy again?" Kushina laughed at her daughter. Naruto came up with the name, but it took her all day. Her daughter wasn't good at coming up with names._

_"Hai!" The little girl, about five looked up to her mother. "I can't find him anywhere!"_

_Kushina patted her daughter on her head. "We will find Foxy together."_

_Naruto was jumping up and down. "Thank you, mommy!" She jumped into her mother's arms. "I love you."_

_"And I love you, too." _

_"Where do you think he is?" _

_Kushina put her daughter down. "Did you look in your room?" _

_"Hai."_

_"Did you look in your daddy's and mine room?" Kushina smiled, remembering how Naruto ran into their room last night. She was afraid of the thunder._

_"Hai." _

_"Did you look in your playroom?"_

_"Hai," Naruto repeated for the third time._

_"Did you look downstairs?"_

_"Hai! I looked everywhere!" The little girl began to cry._

_"Don't cry, baby. We will find Foxy." Kushina picked up her daughter. "Let's look for it in the living room." She ran her fingers through her daughter's blonde hair. They made it downstairs, and she put Naruto on the ground. They began looking for the fox plushy. _

_Half an hour later, there still was no sign of Foxy. Naruto was crying once again. Her mother tried to calm her down, she hates seeing Naruto cry. She was her little girl. _

_Her father gave her the fox when he was on a long mission. He was the Hokage and it was his job. He had to over see some things, even if she didn't want him to go. She would miss him too much. When he came back, he gave her Foxy. From that day on, Foxy went everywhere with the little girl. She loved that stuff animal since it was a gift from her father, who was very busy man. He worked a lot. _

_"When daddy comes home, he will help find Foxy," Kushina told her little ball of sun shine. She called Minato her big ball of sun shine. The two were a lot like. Sure Kushina and Naruto were loud mouths, but Minato and Naruto had similar habits. They both could eat a lot Ramen for one. "Naruto, everything will be fine."_

_"I want Foxy!" The little girl buried her head into her mother's chest. "Daddy gave him to me," she cried. "I can't lose him."_

_Kushina didn't know who she meant in her last sentence. "You won't, I promise."_

_Just then the door opened to reveal a tall blonde with cerulean eyes. He was wearing the Hokage's cloak over his jounin uniform. He frowned at the sight in front of him. His little girl was crying in Kushina lap. "What's wrong with my little girl?" Minato asked, walking to his daughter._

_Naruto looked up and jumped on him. "Daddy!" she cried. He hug her tight. _

_"What's wrong sweetheart?" _

_"I can't find Foxy." Naruto had tears running down her cheeks. _

_Kushina sat on the couch, watching the two blondes. They looked so much alike. She couldn't help but smile at two. She loved her life. _

_"Naruto," Minato said._

_"I can't lose him," the little girl cried. "I love him too much!"_

_"Naruto," he repeated._

_"Daddy!" she whined._

_"Kiddo, I found Foxy in the front yard," the Yondaime revealed. He pulled out the stuff fox out of nowhere. "See, everything's okay."_

_Naruto tackled the fox. "Foxy." She hugged it like there was no tomorrow. "O yea!" She spoke rather loudly. Minato and Kushina had to cover their ears. "I forgot. I went outside in the front yard today! I must have left him out there."_

_"That's my Naruto. Just like mommy," Minato commented. _

_"What was that?" Kushina rose from the couch. _

_Naruto walked away from her father, knowing what would happen next. "Honey, I didn't mean it like that," Minato tried to reason with this wife._

_"What are you saying?" she asked loudly._

_"You and Naruto are both very forgetful." _

_"We aren't forgetful!" Kushina moved closer to the Hokage. "We just have other things in mind." She defended herself and her daughter. _

_Kushina was about to go after Minato when Naruto spoke up. "Daddy, Mommy, you guys do fight a lot." Minato and Kushina stopped stop in their spots. "Most parents who fight break up."_

_"We aren't going to break up!" her parents yelled at the same time. _

_"Good!" Naruto chirped. She hugged her Foxy. "I don't want you to leave," she whispered. She knew her parents only played like that, but she did worry that her daddy would leave and not come back. He did take hard missions that could cost him his life. He was the Hokage after all._

_"Naruto, come here," her father beckoned. He kneeled to her level._

_She ran to him as fast as her little legs could carry her. "Hai, Daddy."_

_"What's wrong?" He was able to see her fear. "Why were you so upset when Foxy was missing?"_

_"You gave him to me. I don't want to lose him."_

_"Okay, but before you said, 'I don't want you to leave.' What do you mean by that?" Her father put his hand on her shoulder. _

_"I was talking about Foxy," the girl lied._

_Kushina kneeled next to her husband. "Naruto, what's wrong?"_

_Naruto was trapped. She had to tell the truth. In a matter of seconds, Foxy was on the ground and Naruto was in Minato's arms. "I don't want to lose you, daddy." _

_Minato looked down at the girl in his arms. "Naruto."_

_"I love Foxy since you gave him to me," she revealed to her father, "and whenever you go away, I'm afraid that you won't come back."_

_"Naruto, I will always come back to you." Minato looked to his wife. Kushina was also worried about her daughter._

_"But what if you don't?" Naruto asked._

_"I promise you, I will always come back to you no matter what. If I have to come back from dead, I will." He was serious._

_"Daddy, Mommy."_

_"We won't leave you." Kushina kissed her daughter on her forehead._

_"Naruto, nothing can keep me from you. I will always be at your side. Time is not an option. I will always be here for you," Minato explained._

_A bright light shone in her eyes. She couldn't see for a second. "Daddy, Mommy!"_

_"We will always be here for you," Minato repeated._

_Light shone in her eyes once again. This time, it was longer before she saw her parents again. She yelled out for them again._

_"We will always be here for you," Kushina said._

_Yet again, light shone in her eyes. Naruto yelled out._

_Her father responded, "I promise, I will never leave you." _

_Her parents, however, didn't reappear this time. _

Naruto forced her eyes open. The sun shone in her eyes, making it flicker. When she rose from the bed, she found herself in her parent's room. She walked to the full-length mirror. There she was, an 18 almost 19 year old girl. _It __must__ have been a dream. _She touched her forehead. "It felt so real," she commented.

A tear rolled down her cheeks.

"It felt so real." She fell to her knees. More tears began to fall. "It felt so real," she repeated.

She got dressed and headed to the kitchen. Finding no one there, she fixed herself a small bowl of ramen though she wasn't very hungry. Her dream seemed to have affected her more then she thought it did.

_I promise, I will never leave you._ Naruto recalled the last part of her dreams. "You lied," she whispered, barely audible. _Stop that!_ Her mind yelled. "It was just a dream."

"What was just a dream?" Sai asked, coming into sight.

"Nothing," she lied. She had no interest in telling her teammate about her dream. "I was just thinking about my wish," Naruto lied. She was trying her best to sound happy.

"And what is that?"

Naruto didn't answer. She didn't have a wish. She never thought of one. Her mind was focused on Minato Namikaze and Yuki's Master. "I'm not telling you!" she cheered.

"What are you not telling Sai?" Kakashi asked, making his way to the Kitchen.

"My wish, and I'm not telling you either!" Naruto revealed.

"Whatever," Sai responded. He wasn't a morning person.

Kakashi looked back from Naruto and Sai. He sighed. He wasn't a people person. He could barely deal with Sai and Naruto when they were like this. He would read them like a book. "We have to head to the forbidden forest now."

Naruto looked at Kakashi and a real smile appeared on her face. She would have fun in this tournament. "Dattebayo!"

"Once we get there, we will be separated and enter the forest at different points," her Sensei told her.

"This should be fun!" Naruto cheered, putting her crystal in the pouch on her arm which was where she would put the other crystals.

* * *

Naruto stared at her assigned gate, the fifth gate. There were so many people that she didn't know. Her hands tightened on the straps of her backpack.

She was going to have so much fun!

She recognized some people around there, but they were just leaf Shinobi she usually sees around the village. They would make eye contact with her before turning away. She didn't know what to make of it.

She looked around. The tournament would start in a matter of minutes and she felt her heart beat faster. There were approximately a hundred people around her. She felt small, literary and figuratively. She felt inferior and she was rather small in size compared to the rest of the people.

Naruto felt someone breathing in her ears. She turned around faster than light. A man who was a couple feet taller than her was staring at her. He was on the heavy side. His hair was a dark green and his eyes were a bright gold color. "Can I help you?" Naruto asked rather rudely. She didn't care about what he looked like.

"Didn't your mother teach you how to talk to a man?" He questioned, looking over her small body.

"No." Naruto didn't explain. "Now, answer my question!" She didn't felt like he was a threat. He wasn't in her league.

"Why is a pretty little thing like you doing in a place like this?" he asked, licking his lips. He would love to see how she worked.

"I don't have time to mess with you." Naruto turned her back on the creep. The next thing she knew, he was squeezing her ass. She took around with a kunai in her hand. "Touch me again and you will lose a hand," she hissed.

He had a smile on his face. "You have such a tight ass." He chuckled. "I wonder how it would feel like pushing into it."

Naruto had her share of perverts. Why were all men trying to get in her pants? She was about to kill him when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned back to see a leaf Shinobi. He had a weird symbol on his arms. _He must be the 'rule' Ninja._

"Is there a problem?" The Rule Keeper asked.

"No," the pervert answered.

The look on Naruto's face told the Keeper another story. "Hm." He paused. "You can wait to the start of the tournament to kill each other!" The pervert walked off, leaving the Keeper and Naruto alone. He looked over the Kunoichi as she put her kunai away. "Be careful, Uzumaki. There are very dangerous things around here."

Naruto nodded and the Keeper disappeared like he was never there. At the gate, there were a couple these Keepers. They looked like they were about to open the gates up. She moved closer since they were about to speak.

"We will open this gate after we finish saying something. If you enter this forest, we won't be held responsible for your death. You will be in here for three days as shall we. You earn crystals by winning your fights. There will be no stealing of crystals. You should know the rest of the rules." The Keeper opened the gate and everyone was off.

* * *

The forest was dark and cold. It felt like the Angel of Death was upon her. It gave off a feeling that Naruto couldn't describe.

Naruto walked around and didn't find a single soul, making her feel weird being so alone at that moment. For the longest time, Naruto was never alone. She had a body guard in the next room before, but now she was on her own. She felt better, but at the same time worse. She wanted to have someone to fall back on, but she didn't want to be a weakling that needed saving every time she turned around.

Naruto moved through the forest looking for someone to fight. It was quiet, rather too quiet. It was foreshadowing that something was about to happen and the highly trained Anbu Captain was ready for it.

A kunai came right at her head. She dodged in the air, and the kunai landed on a tree. Naruto landed on ground. Out of the shadow came the pervert from before. Around his neck were one red crystal and one green crystal. "I guess you want my crystal." Naruto folded her arms against her chest.

The man started to laugh like she was nothing. "Much more than that, honey." He looked her over, but her glare stopped him. "You probably have a green. I started out with a red," he revealed.

Naruto felt her blood boil. He called her honey. No one did that, especially not a pervert like him. To add to that, he thought she was weak. She had a blue crystal worth five points. His crystals, together, didn't even add up to that. Three points. That's all this pervert had. She had five, so ha! "I have a Blue crystal," she informed him. "And don't call me honey, you hear."

"You have a blue crystal?" He laughed. "Why would they give a small thing like yourself a blue crystal?"

Naruto felt herself growl. He was belittling her because she was a woman. He would regret that soon enough. "Let fight and see who is on top."

"I wouldn't want to hurt a pretty thing like you."

"Trust me," she started, "you won't be able to touch me!" She threw her pack to the ground. She would kick this pervert to the moon.

"Let's think about this." He went into a deep thought. "Since I got two crystals, you have to give me something else when I beat you."

"I have a blue crystal which beats your crystals, so why should I give you something else if by some long shot you beat me?"

"You are a shinobi. I know you fight with honor." The pervert looked her over again.

"Fine, but you won't beat me!" Naruto yelled. "What else do you want?" She felt sick, spotting his eyes on her.

"You."

"What?"

"I want you naked under me screaming my name as I pound into you," he stated, licking his lips.

Naruto had her share of perverts. Why did everyone she met want to get into her pants? "Fine," she spat. She wouldn't lose, and if she did, she shouldn't be a ninja.

"Good, the name is Rabian."

"Shut-up, and let's get this over with."

"I see, you want me to-" he couldn't finish. Naruto had a kunai to his neck. Rabian's eyes widened. "Fast now, are we?"

The Kunai drew blood as it went deeper into his skin.

Naruto changed since the day that Yuki kidnapped her. She just did a good job hiding it. It was a mask per se, and Rabian's comments had caused her to lose the mask. He was a pervert and Naruto was sick of it. She wasn't some sex toy. She was a Kunoichi, but not just any Kunoichi, she was the daughter of the Minato Namikaze, the Yondaime Hokage.

"Hai," she answered dryly. Naruto swung her leg up. Rabian couldn't dodge in time. His back hit the Oak tree behind him.

Rabian growled. He didn't think she was that strong. She was a woman. Women belonged in the kitchen and the bedroom.

Ten clones appeared next to Naruto and each charged the fallen pervert. The real Naruto stood behind with a Rasengan in her hand. She didn't need that attack, but this man had pushed her too far.

Rabian couldn't move. He was nothing compared to the seasoned Anbu Black Ops Captain. He was a bloody mess, when the clones vanished. Blood covered his face. His hair was everywhere. His crystals lay in front of him.

Naruto walked to him with the Rasengan in her left hand. She picked up his crystals and invested them with the blue crystal. She kneeled down in front of him. "What do you think of me now?" she hissed.

Rabian watched the blue ball in her hand. "Please, forgive me….you have my crystals now. Let me live," he begged. He didn't know what was in her hand, but he knew it was deathly.

Naruto stared at the pervert. If she killed this man, then there would be one less pervert in the world. There was so many of them.

The Rasengan moved closer to the man's chest. He tried to move out of the way, but his body would not listen.

Perverts shouldn't be allowed to live. The Rasengan moved even closer to the weakened Rabian. He began to cry.

The Rasengan disappeared.

Naruto stared at the man. He wasn't the man who hurt her. He didn't try to rape her. He didn't want her to suffer. He was just a pervert who came across the wrong person. He wasn't anyone to her.

Naruto jumped back from the man. _I could have killed that man._ She shook her head. She turned her back on the man. What could she say to him? She put her bag on her back and went off.

* * *

Naruto was normal the rest of the day winning thirteen more crystal. She had five blue crystals, seven red crystals, and four green crystals which added up to 26 points. She was rather pleased with herself; however, the way she handle Rabian upset her greatly. She could she be that cold to a living being?

It was getting late. Naruto sat with her back against the tree, looking up to the sky. It became clear to her how much she had changed since Yuki had almost killed her. She looked down to her hands. Life sucked.

Someone was going her way. Naruto could sense them coming along time ago, but she didn't feel like moving. She had too much on her mind to worry about it. Minutes later, she felt a person behind her.

"Dobe."

Naruto didn't bother to turn around. "Hai, teme." Her blonde hair covered her eyes.

"Naruto." Sasuke uttered. He wasn't good in situations like these. He didn't mix very well with emotions. He was an Uchiha after all.

"Out with it."

"I didn't mean what I said in the cave," he explained. She didn't look at him. He moved to face her, but her bangs covered her eyes.

"Whatever." She rose to her feet and her cerulean eyes were locked with his onyx ones. "You-"

He grabbed her shoulders. "I know what you are going to say. I care for you. I tried to see you, but Tsunade wouldn't let me…I'm…sorry. Please forgive me."

Naruto blinked. This had to be a dream. IT just had to be. Sasuke Uchiha was asking for her forgiveness. That didn't happen every hundred years. It was a miracle he did at all. "I did a long time ago," she admitted.

He smirked. He knew his dobe couldn't be mad at him forever. He pulled her into a kiss. It didn't last long. Naruto pulled away from him faster than he could say 'I'm King.'

"I can't."

"Why?"

"I'm not ready for a relationship." She pushed away from the man she loved very deeply. Yes, she loved him. She would always love him even if she was with someone else. "Not after what Yuki did to me." She locked eyes with him. "And then again, it's not the right time with this new enemy after me."

He felt his nails dig into his flesh. "You can't put your life on hold." _I want you. I need you._ He placed his hand on her cheek.

"Even if we are boyfriend and girlfriend, I wouldn't sleep with you! I want to wait," she told him. "I want to save myself for my husband."

Naruto could've knocked Sasuke over with a feather. He couldn't wait. He wanted her now; or rather he needed her now. He, however, couldn't push. "Hn." _Why did I fall for her?….I can wait that long...No, I can't. We need to get __married__, now! _

Naruto glared at that man. "Stop-" She froze.

"Dobe?"

She had her back to him. She looked around her. "Ghost," Naruto whispered. She jumped, looking and she was now facing him.

His face fell. How could he fall for a girl who believed in ghosts? "There is no such thing as ghost."

She looked over one of his shoulders only to look over the other. "They are real!"

Sasuke looked down at the girl on his chest. The smell of her hair filled his nose. Her hands on his shoulders sent chills down his spine. He wrapped his hand around her waist. "Even if they are, I will protect you," he whispered.

His words calmed the blonde. She rested her head on his shoulder and Sasuke rested his head on her head. She felt safe. His name floated out of her mouth.

_"Dobe." He held her tighter against his chest. He never wanted to let her go. _I can ask her to marry me right now……Yes, I will ask her now…get married right after the end of tournament._ "Can I ask you something?"_

His words brought her back to reality. She pushed out of his arms. "I have to go," she announced. She was falling for him, and if she stayed, there would be a good chance she would let him have his way with her.

She picked up her bag and turned away from him. Sasuke grabbed her wrist as she started to walk away. "Wait."

"I can't," she protested. She shook her head. "I won't be able to…."

"To what?"

"Nothing," she lied, pulling her arm away from the Uchiha.

"Naruto!" He looked her in the eyes. "I know you… You aren't a good liar, anyway."

She looked away. "Listen, I care for you a lot but I need time."

The last Uchiha's eyes twitched. _Cared?! She cares for me._ She didn't look at him. _She doesn't care about me_. He could read her like a book. _She loves me. I can see it __clear__ as day._ He looked away, hearing a sound. "Naruto…," he said looking back.

She was gone. He tried to sense her, but she masked her chakra. She was an Anbu captain after all. She was a natural at it.

* * *

Dark was almost upon the girl. It was hard to see since the trees blocked the last of the sun. The trees, however, didn't block the wind which sent chills down her spine. She heard wolves in the distance. Owls rested on the branches of the trees.

She was getting that feeling again. She turned around rather quickly. _Ghosts__! _She cried in her mind. There was no way to get around it. Her greatest fear was ghosts and Yuki was a close second. It didn't matter. They both scared her to death.

"Stop this, Naruto," she instructed herself. She wasn't five. She was eighteen, almost nineteen. She's an Anbu Captain. They didn't get scared. She wasn't supposed to be scared of anything, but she was. Ghosts. She knew they were there. She just knew it.

She closed her eyes. She had to calm down. Her heart was beating way too fast to be healthy. To be honest, she wasn't sure what was healthy for her. "I'm going to give myself a heart attack." She placed her index finger under her neck to feel her pulse.

She tried breathing in and out but her heart beat was still too high. She sat at the base of a tree. She closed her eyes again. "Maybe I should just get someone sleep," she spoke. She brought her knees to her chest. She was drafting asleep. Time went by.

"I finally found you."

Naruto forced her eyes open. She felt tried. Maybe she shouldn't have closed her eyes. She waited a few seconds as her eyes focused on the man in front of him. His flaming red hair stood out, and his emerald eyes stared at her. "I had seen you around town," Naruto revealed. He was a villager. Why was he in the tournament of this level?

He disappeared and appeared next to her. He pulled her to her feet. _She's half asleep. This will be easy._

Naruto pulled away from him. Her eyes felt heavy like she was awake for days. "Who told you, you could touch me?"

The man disappeared again. He reappeared behind the girl. "Miss Fox, you smell delicious." His hand ran through her hair.

Naruto's brain clicked, but her body was still asleep. "R-Ryu," the blonde stuttered. She tried to push away, but she wasn't mobile enough.

Ryu wrapped his arm around the girl's waist; bringing her closer to his body. "Miss Fox, you have two choices." Ryu was a man. He had his male needs. "One, I can take you straight to my master and mistress, or we can have some fun before we go."

Naruto wanted to scream. She didn't want this man to touch her, but he had her under his spell.

Ryu took her silent as a yes to the latter choice. He loved his ability. He was able to make anyone do whatever he wanted. He could make a person's body useless just like the Namikaze in front of him.

His hands traveled the girl's body. He made the girl moan in a matter of seconds. "Do you want me to keep going?"

Naruto tried her best to fight him. She couldn't move. She felt his hands travel up her leg. She felt his hand tug at her clothes. "S-stop…i-i-it," she cried.

Ryu cursed. He almost had her. Most people couldn't speak when he had them like this. She was fighting his spell. The redhead stopped. He wanted her, but if she said no then he would stop. He wasn't like Yuki. He wasn't going to force himself on the girl, the innocent girl.

To be honest, he was kind of forcing himself onto the girl. He had her under his spell or rather his blood trait. His blood trait allowed him to control people, but it didn't work well if the person had a strong will. Naruto was fighting it and she would win in the end. It was only a matter of time. "Very well."

Ryu pulled away from the girl, and instantly she fell to the ground. She was still very tried. "I never expected you to do that," she told him.

"But that doesn't mean I would let you go."

Naruto growled. She knew that. He worked with Yuki. She was just glad that he wasn't Yuki. Yuki wouldn't have listened when she told him to stop. "I won't come willingly."

"I didn't expect you to."

Naruto forced herself up. She pulled put a kunai. "I won't be taken again."

Ryu vanished. His speed was faster than Naruto had ever seen before. "Boo," he called out before landing a lick.

The girl was thrown back against the trees. "I hate ghosts," Naruto revealed, rising to her feet. Her body wasn't totally awake yet and to make things worse, Ryu's blood trait was still affecting her.

"I know," he explained. He walked to her like he was a friend. "Just give up."

"Do you know who I am?" she asked. He blinked. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki, the daughter of the Yondaime Hokage and I will be Hokage one day. I don't give up!" She charged at him.

She threw the Kunai at him and went in for the hit. She blinked as her fist hit him on the face. Ryu just stood there. He took her by the wrist and threw her aside. "I must say all those battles you had today weakened you a bit." He smirked. "It was a good thing I didn't pick so many fights like you did!"

_Damn it_, she thought. He was right. She wasted all her energy on getting the crystals, plus, her body was still recovering from Ryu's blood trait. She was in trouble. "I won't give up," she cried.

Ryu felt something, watching her try to pick herself up. He didn't know what he felt. He never felt this way before. "That doesn't matter."

She fell. She pushed up from the ground taking her time. Ryu didn't seem to be in a hurry. Naruto wasn't going to hurry if he wasn't going to. When she got to her feet, the Rasengan appeared in her hand. "I'm going to Rasengan your ass!"

Ryu laughed at the girl charging at him. Her movements were slow. He could follow every step she took. "This ends now!" The man was losing his patience that is if he had patience in the first place. When she was about to attack when he redirected her blast and sent a blow to her neck, knocking her unconscious.

He lifted the girl over his shoulders. He left her crystals and backpack alone. Someone would find her stuff eventually, but he didn't care since he would be long gone and it is unimportant to him. Nothing really was important to him. The only one he ever cared about was dead. She was killed by the man, who Ryu serves now. Asuka could always make him smile. She was a gift from God.

Ryu vanished. He would give his master the Namikaze. He hoped he would be free to live his life. He, however, doubted he would ever live a normal (for him) life again. He was slave, and there wasn't anything he could do.

* * *

There are some things i wish to point out now you had read the chapter.

One, i didn't mean to make the dream so long.

Two, i didn't mean to make Ryu so pervent.

Three, i didn't mean to make Naruto so weak, but it was the only way that i could do what i wanted to do.

Four, this story is coming to end in a few chapters, i was wondering if you would like a sequel. I already have an idea for it, if you want me to write it.

Thanks for reading,

I will try to update, when i can, but college is taking all of my time.

For my Gundam Seed fans, i wrote the next chapter for my story. I'm just waiting for my beta reader to send it back to me. when she gets it back to me, i will post it.

Don't forget to review. good or bad! just don't kill me like a certain review did.

-Cass


	18. The Gates to Hell

I had so many things to do, so i'm sorry for the long wait.

I want to give a special thanks to Iana Sabelle who helped me out greatly. Without her, this chapter wouldn't have been completed. She like wrote the end of the chapter.

I do not own Naruto.

* * *

The Gates to Hell

Chapter 18

* * *

Miles away from Konoha, a mansion– more like a castle was hidden in a deep valley; trees surrounded the building like a shield, in the most natural way that it was nearly impossible to find unless you know exactly where to look. You could very well be hovering directly above it and still have a hard time seeing it.

Light could still reach the place. A huge yard to run around in can even be found within its domain, but the unnaturally thick and long branches of the tall trees blocked it from the wondering and prying eye with the exemption of a highly trained Anbu who would be able to find it, with difficulty.

Within the depth of the vast Mansion, only three doors were securely locked: the study of the Master of the house, the master's bed chambers and lastly, a certain door whose main purpose is to keep someone in until it was time for her to come out—a prison just like the person it held captive.

Inside the room-turned-prison, a girl laid unconscious on a colossal bed. A metal collar fit tightly around her neck, meant to control. This wouldn't be the first time that a collar like the one she was wearing found its place around her neck.

Her blonde hair stood out against the warm colored bed; her orange outfit didn't fit well with the style of the room. She looked like a pauper compared to the elegance of the room, which happens to also be bigger than her apartment.

Her eye lids flickered and flew open. After a few seconds, her blue eyes surveyed the room around her. "What happened? How did I get here?" she asked herself.

Naruto blinked a couple times as she recalled the events before. How long was she out? She didn't know. She tried to rub her neck when she felt a thick metal against her hand, making her gasp. "Oh no," she whispered in her hollow voice. Sure, her fear rose, but there were a couple differences.

One, Yuki was dead. Two, she now knew how the device worked. Three, she was in a different location. She jumped out of bed and realized that other than her lack of chakra she was perfectly fine. That was a plus.

_Where's my hitae-ate?_ She glanced around the room, but the headband was nowhere to be found. _Those bastards! They took my hitae-ate! _She was starting to get livid, her fear forgotten; no one takes her headband without a fight.

It took her five whole minutes to make complete rounds in the room while coming up with different conclusions. One, her captor was insane. There were even fluffy dresses in the closet. Was he expecting her to wear them? If he was, he needed to go to see a shrink or perhaps be locked-up in a mental facility. Naruto Uzumaki didn't wear dresses like those.

Two, she cannot get out of this place. The windows were locked and sealed with some kind of metal. Nevertheless, she was still able to look through them. If she had Sakura's strength, she could have busted out. Then again, Sakura used chakra in those fists of hers.

Three, her captors were either very nice or very controlling. The room had everything she would ever need, besides food. It was like they were trying to send her a message that they controlled her every move right down to the soap in the bathroom that was connected to the room.

Other than trying to figure a way out of there, there was nothing better to do. Her mind never fails to wander if she was doing nothing.

How long was I out? Do my friends know I am missing? Why is Ryu's master after me? What does this all mean?_ Many other questions barraged her over-used mind._

Naruto sighed as she headed to the door that would lead out into the hall way. She tried with all her might; the door didn't move. "Shit," she cursed banging her fists against the walls, effectively making her hands crimson. She cursed again.

Not knowing what else to do, she made a quiet trip to the bathroom. After a few minutes, Naruto returned finding a woman sitting on her bed. "W-who are you?"

The woman had an evil look in her eyes. "I'm the mistress of this place," she spoke amusedly like she was talking to a cave woman scared of a camera, while playing with something shiny.

Naruto took a closer look to the object in the lady's hand. It was her hitae-ate. "Give that back!" Naruto demanded.

"This?" Naruto nodded. "No."

"Bitch."

"Watch that mouth of yours, or else I will burn this." The lady said, snapping her fingers. Fire appeared in her palm.

Naruto froze.

"That's my good girl," the woman grinned.

Naruto took in the strange lady's appearance. She had short black hair; her eyes were one shade lighter than her hair, and she was paler then a certain teme. "W-what do you want?" Naruto asked.

The woman stood from the bed. She was taller than Naruto and weighted slightly more than the blonde. "Don't you want to know who I am?"

Naruto backed up, getting a weird feeling from the woman. "…"

"My name is Akemi." She spoke almost eerily as she seemingly glided across the room to where Naruto was. "I won't kill you….yet."

Naruto didn't want that bitch anywhere near her. _You can't kill me, lady! _She swung her leg up to Akemi, who caught it in mid-air with one hand. Naruto's leg started to burn but Akemi wouldn't let go.

"Let me tell you about my bloodline trait. I can manipulate fire without getting burned." Akemi revealed to the girl.

Naruto growled. She jumped up and tried to kick her with the other leg. Akemi had a blank face like she was uninterested and sent her palm forward inches away from Naruto's heart.

In a matter of seconds, Naruto's back hit the wall as she tried to catch her breath. In a blink of an eye, Akemi had the blonde pinned against the wall. Her hand was an inch from Naruto's face. "I guess you're a living proof that blondes are stupid."

"D-don't call me s-stupid," Naruto stuttered, trapped by the vicious lady.

"You must be if you thought you could beat me without your chakra." Naruto felt the heat from Akemi's palm. "You better behave if you don't want me to burn you face." She inched her palms closer to the blonde's face, while Naruto tried all her might to get of her vice-grip.

"Akemi! Stop," a male voice ordered. Akemi dropped Naruto and turned to see a man leaning against the door way.

Naruto's heart was racing. _Who is that? _She glanced over at the man. His hair was a little lighter than Akemi's; his eyes, Naruto couldn't see since he had it shut. The mysterious thing though is that he could still see the two.

"Why?" Akemi's voice changes. It was soft like the way a person would talk to a lover.

"I don't want you to kill her before I had a chance at her. You know how long I've waited for this."

"Tatsuya, I'm sorry." she walked over to him and placed a kiss on his cheeks.

Naruto felt her heart stopped as she saw the hand shaped burn mark on her leg. She looked up to the bitch and saw that she still had the hitae-ate. "What do you want from me?"

Tatsuya walked to the girl and bended down to her. "Nothing. We wanted your father, but he's dead."

This man was Yuki's and Ryu's master. This was the man who wanted her dead in the most painful way. "Just kill me now and get it over with," Naruto snorted.

"No, not yet. Didn't you hear me?" He growled causing Naruto to flinch. "Akemi, put our guest in the maze."

"Chakra or no Chakra?" Akemi responded.

"No Chakra."

"I guess she would be dead as soon as we place her in it." Akemi laughed.

"What maze?" Naruto asked.

Tatsuya picked himself up and was at the door first before he answered. "Our maze has a 100 percent death rate. We nicknamed it the Gates to Hell, since it is worse than you could ever imagine. We have monster in there that would put on a good fight against the Kyūubi no Yōkō." He disappeared.

Akemi was once again next to Naruto in a blink of an eye. "By the way, we know that you are the vessel so don't feel all good about yourself. You can't draw on its powers anymore, so it doesn't matter if you are a Jinchūriki or not."

* * *

Only a couple hours were left before the first leg was over and Tsunade couldn't wait. She had enough of this tournament already.

Ten people were sent to the hospital on the first day and the numbers just kept on going up after that. It more than doubled on the second day. On the last and third day, wasn't any better… well things like this happens when a whole bunch of Ninjas get together. They are wild beasts, Tsunade would tell you.

She rose from her desk as she decided to do down to the forbidden forest early. She wanted to be down there when the brat comes out of the forest.

Tsunade made it down to the forest in record time and made her way to the exit zone of the forest. "Anything else to report?" The Hokage asked of the Rule Keepers.

The Keepers look worried. "The girl, you told us to keep our eyes on, is missing," one of the Keepers revealed.

"What!" She glared. "Maybe you just lost track of her," she tried to reason.

"We found her pack and crystals on the first day. We waited to see if she would come back to it, but she never did."

"Where are her stuff now?"

"On the desk," the keeper pointed to them. "We tried to sense Uzumaki but we couldn't, which means only one thing."

"She's not in the forest," Tsunade gasped filling in the blank.

"That's not all. There is one other person missing."

"Who is that?"

"A man named Dai," the keeper answered.

Tsunade growled. She had a bad feeling from that man when she first met him. Incidentally, that feeling began to evanesce when he said to talk. It was like magic. "Damn it!" she cursed. "He must have taken her and now he has a three day head start!" She summoned eight Anbu, who didn't partake in the tournament. She told them everything and they were off.

Tsunade gave the Keeper a list of eight people. "When these people come out of the forest, send them to me."

She hurried back to the Hokage's Tower and summoned Jiraiya. "What, Tsunade? I was in the middle of my research," the Toad Sage complained. He folded his arm across his chest. He started to spout out nonsense, but stopped after a few minutes. "What happened?" he asked as he caught sight of her face, after realizing how abnormal her behavior was.

"Naruto's missing."

* * *

Akemi literally threw Naruto into the 'Gates to Hell' and closed the door behind her. "Bitch!" Naruto hissed in pain as she landed on the hand shaped burn mark. _Stupid woman!_ She pushed herself up.

She couldn't use her chakra, and the stupid demon couldn't heal her, ergo, She's screwed. She just hoped Tatsuya was joking about the beast part. If he wasn't, she's as good as dead.

The walls of the maze were made of some kind of vegetation that Naruto couldn't name for the life of her. The ground had patches of grass and concrete.

Naruto felt weird without her Hitae-ate; she felt naked without the band. That Lady would surely get a mouth full of fist when the blonde got out of this maze.

She pushed herself up causing pain to shoot throughout her body. Her leg felt like it was on fire; incidentally, that was what caused the mark on her leg. If only the fox wasn't sealed further down. _Stupid, people! _This was the one time she wished she could use the beast's chakra.

She had to bite her lip to stop the scream in her throat. _Am I weak?_ She had to be in her mind. She had been kidnapped, injured, and be rescued on more than one occasion. It was like her whole life needed saving. _I am just a burden to my friends,_ she thought.

She limped through the maze with one hand on the wall; since keeping your hand on a maze's wall was rule one in figuring a way out. She was turning a corner when she heard a roar from a distance. Her azure eyes widened in disbelief. She didn't believe the woman at first, but now it was a different story.

She turned another corner and froze in an instant. About five feet away from her was a lion-like-creature. It looked like a lion but it had five horns coming out of its head. The creature even had more than one tail; in fact, it had ten. Its short fur was blacker than coal; in contrast, his eyes were whiter as were his fangs, his long sharp and deadly fangs which seemed to be soaked in some kind of liquid, a drool perhaps, or probably a poison.

Naruto backed up. There was no way she could beat this thing without her chakra; plus, she wasn't a hundred percent yet._ This sucks! _The blonde started to sweat. _It doesn't make sense_, she thought. Why would Akemi and Tatsuya go through the trouble of kidnapping her just to feed her to the lions per se? Why didn't they kill her themselves? Did they expect her to make it out of here? Would they kill her right after she found the exit when she was the weakest?

To her annoyance, they never told her why they hated her father? What did Minato ever do to them? Naruto would never know if she didn't get out of this maze. That would mean killing this thing in front of her!

And she would. She was Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze, and she wasn't going to die before reaching her goal. She's going to become Hokage even if it killed her. She also wanted to fall in love; she wanted to feel like someone needed her for once.

She laughed. She hated being a woman, they are so emotional.

She wanted to feel butterflies in her stomach when she found the one. She wanted to experience life, and that involved killing the lion-like-beast.

It charged at her as though it wanted to eat her. _It probably does_, Naruto thought as she dodged the beast. She hissed landing on her injured leg. The beast being, well, a being driven by instinct alone charged her again as if desperate to kill her.

* * *

Sasuke Uchiha felt the sun beat against his face as he exited the forbidden forest. The wind gusted through his hair making him feel alive. To add to that, he was still 'high' from being with Naruto no matter how short-lived it was.

She had forgiven him and he knew she 'cared' more for him than just a friend. She loved him which was something he was sure about. She was just not ready yet, and he wasn't going to push her. He would wait until she was ready. There's time: there is always time.

He sighed as a Keeper appeared next to him. "Yes," Sasuke muttered.

"The Hokage would like to see you."

"Okay," Sasuke muttered. He didn't want to see that woman who wanted to cut off his manhood and feed it to him. He poofed away and appeared in Tsunade office, though he wasn't the only one there. Hinata, Neji, Ino, Sai, Kakashi– who was reading his evil boo-, Kiba, Sakura, and Shikamaru were also present.

"Good, you're all here." Tsunade spoke, but there wasn't a tinge of emotion in her voice.

The Uchiha glanced around the room; the dobe was missing. Shouldn't she be here, if it was something important? He was about to speak, when Tsunade began.

"Naruto's missing," Tsunade explained.

"What again?" Ino whined; in results, everyone glared at her. Tsunade told them everything she knew.

Everyone was about to leave, when Jiraiya came through the window. As a result, Tsunade landed a blow on his head. "Gee, Tsunade! You could have killed me with that strength of yours," he whined. He turned to the search party and said, "I'm going with you." He turned serious in a matter of 2.2 seconds.

* * *

Naruto let herself fall against the wall of maze as she tried to catch her breath. Somehow, she was able to kill the beast despite the lack of weapons. To be truthful, the beast killed itself when he was chasing her. She saw how the 'lion' couldn't maneuver very well so Naruto trapped it. In the end, it snapped it own neck while it was chasing her.

She slid down into sitting position.

If she had her chakra, she would have killed it with the Rasengan which would have saved her some energy. Her legs felt dead from all that running; in addition, she felt tired. Even so, she wouldn't fall asleep in a place like this, especially when she had no chakra. Something would kill her in her sleep and she would never know.

She pushed herself up despite her severing pain. Her legs were threatening to give out on her at any moment. Aside from that, she had lacerations all over her body from branches and other things when the thing was chasing her. The lacerations were bleeding openly. _Shit, I hate blood._ She would need to take care of her injuries.

She had to find a shelter and food…. well she could eat the lion like creature. _It could be poisonous; _she guessed catching sight of its fangs. She didn't know the first thing about poisons hence the reason why Sakura was on her Anbu team. She didn't want to take a chance so she left the thing alone.

Naruto cursed. Thanks to that beast, she had to take her hand off the wall, effectively help her in getting lost. To add to her misery, it took her some time before she fixed a proper shelter to sleep for a couple of hours.

"I wonder if the tournament is over yet," she sighed. "I had an awesome wish." Naruto stumbled toward the tent-like-shelter. Before falling sleep, after making sure it was stable. The last thing she wanted was the thing caving in on her.

* * *

The sun was starting to fade despite the fact that the search party was only traveling for a couple of hours. They had two choices, they could set up camp and wait until tomorrow or they could keep going. In the end, they decided to stop for a couple hours so they can rest.

Sakura shifted uncomfortably against the tree. She seemed to be restless nowadays; to add to that, she was getting tired easier now. Was it because of the baby? She sighed. This would be her last mission for awhile……..which means Lee would be all over her. He can be annoying at times, especially now, since she's having his child. He was over protective. Good thing he was still in the forbidden forest or he wouldn't have let her go on this mission.

After a couple of hours, they were off again. No one talked as everyone was on edge. "I found something," someone called out.

Shikamaru went into his thinking pose. "Let's go."

* * *

A couple of hours later, Naruto wiggled out of the weak shelter, the sun greeted her. She smiled as if she had no care in the world. Most of her injuries were gone; instead, the hand print was very much visible. It still strung, whenever she moved too much. "Akemi, you are so dead," Naruto snorted.

She continued on her way through the maze, but she wasn't exactly quiet. Well, she's Naruto; she couldn't be quiet even if her life depended on it….. Wait a minute, her life _was_ in danger. That wasn't anything new; her life was always in danger. Does fate want her dead? Was it her destiny to die? Was she challenging destiny by merely living?

Intelligent questions that Naruto had never even thought of asking before kept flooding her mind as she aimlessly wandered the complex and dangerous maze she had been thrown into. So deep in her thought was she that she didn't sense the danger lurking around the corner she just turned into, until it hit her head-on.

* * *

When the Konoha ninjas finally reached the valley where their trackers led them to, they had to not only use the bloodlines they had with them, they also had to use all other resources they could such as their summon and their skills in order to find the exact place they were looking for.

For almost half an hour, there was still no sign of an opening that would take them to where Naruto was being held. This only made the frustration of her main fan-boys grow. The absence of Sai's fake smiles, Neji's reverting back to the stiff Hyuga he once was, Sasuke's wavering impassive façade, and Kakashi's rigid movement were evidence enough to know they're on the edge.

Of course this didn't mean the others with them didn't care about Naruto as much as they did, they only cared for her on a different level compared to kind of love her fan-boys have for her.

Finally, after what seemed like eons to them, an opening was finally revealed. You would have to squint in order to find it though.

Jiraiya raised his hand, gaining everybody's attention. "From here on, things will get more tricky and dangerous. Whoever kidnapped a ninja of Naruto's caliber would either be insane or extremely powerful with a brain to back it up. Utmost stealth and care is needed for this mission." He paused for a while to let them digest what he had just said.

"Remember, our priority is to find and get Naruto no matter what. The extermination of the ring leader comes second. Stay close until we need to spread out, and when we do, always update and notify one another, is that clear?" Jiraiya spoke like a true sannin that everyone in the group couldn't help but affirm to his command.

"Ok, move out!" The Toad Sannin gave the signal and they moved, leaving only some swirling leaves behind, as if only a small gust of wind had been there, and no other living being.

As they speed up towards the well-hidden mansion, all had similar thoughts running through their heads.

"Be safe Naruto, we're coming."

"Hang in there Naruto, I'm on my way"

"If they touch even a single strand of your hair, I'll be sure to make them pay… wait for me, Naruto."

* * *

A loud and ear-splitting crashing sound echoed through what seemed like a never-ending maze surrounded Naruto, along with the flying debris and smoke as the vile creature punched the spot where she was standing seconds ago, when she bumped onto it, effectively creating a huge crater.

"Damn! I could've been killed!" Naruto cussed, seeing what was left behind of the ground where she stood seconds before. Her attention was immediately caught by the beast as it roared so load and made its move to Naruto.

Hoping to kill the beast by using the same trick she had done to the lion-like one, she ran, and ran until she noticed a hole in the wall that was obviously made when she was 'fighting' off the first beast. Seeing that the beast is yet to see her since the bushes and some trees scattered around hid her petite figure perfectly, she decided to hide.

The hole was just right for her side and it kept her safe from prying eyes and strong sense of smell of any beasts, at least in the mean time.

She kept her fingers crossed waiting for the beast to leave, but lady luck wasn't on her side as three other beasts, each one more repulsive than the other, came into view. The mighty roars and sickening stench of the foul creatures, that were only a few feet away from where Naruto was, scared and traumatized her. She unconsciously hugged herself and moved farther against the back to the wall, letting the darkness engulf her.

After what seems like centuries, everything went still, and yet Naruto was still in her little corner, shivering, almost in a panicked state, and she only realized that the coast was clear when she felt a bug crawl at her forearm.

It took her a full minute to compose herself and got out of the hole she had taken as a place of refuge. She shakily got up with a distant look in her eyes. The unfortunate events that happened were all coming down on her like tons of bricks tumbling down on her.

The fatigue, emotional, and mental trauma was getting the best off of her. She felt trapped and hopeless, helpless that she already wanted to just be eaten by the creatures that resides in the maze just to escape this hellish place. All thoughts of her friends and the family she considered who she thought would come to rescue her, flew out of the proverbial window. Her eyes now glazed over, she was ready to give up and give in to whatever fate has installed for her.

* * *

The moment the imposing mansion came into view, the rescue team stopped in their tracks to take in its grandeur. Not one to waste time on such a mission, Jiraiya gave the signal to proceed and enter the building with as much stealth as they can pull off, one worthy of their ranks.

When they got inside the manor, they were again stunned at its magnificence. One would think they just entered a palace full of doors and hallways that they wouldn't know where to start.

As they took in the surrounding and make a quick plan in their head, Jiraiya already caught their attention by giving orders, only to stop when they heard someone clapping.

"I commend you for being able to enter my humble abode, let alone find it." Tatsuya spoke casually with his mild mannered voice, still clapping his hands. Akemi stood by his side, her hands resting on Tatsuya's arm. She looked evil in the light.

The couple gave the group a once over before letting their gaze settle on the Toad Sannin.

Upon hearing they had company, all eyes were on the person clapping; they were all tensed and ready for action… all but one…

Jiraiya couldn't help but gape as recognition dawned on him on who Naruto's captors were. He pointed an accusing finger at them, tongue-tied and still openly gaping. The only reason he got his teams attention was because of the funny noises he made and the way their 'hosts' direct their gaze at him.

* * *

The story takes an interesting turn! Tatsuya and Akemi revealed next chapter!

And once again, a special thanks to Iana Sabelle.

please review!

Next story to be updated is the New Purpose Story then My Gundam Seed story


	19. Fate

i sorry for the long wait but i am not doing so great now. Life is too much for me right now, but i will try to update soon thought but the next story will be New Purpose.

i dont have much to say other than that.

Please review and i hope you like the chapter

i dont own Naruto

* * *

Chapter 19

Fate

* * *

Tears ran down her cheeks like a waterfall. Naruto let her legs carry her and didn't have a care that she was out in the open or where she was going. Life was over for her, and there was nothing for her to do. There was always someone who wanted to wipe her existence off the face of the planet; come to think of it, she hadn't even met all the people who wanted her gone from this world. They just wanted her dead because she was a demon container and the daughter of the Yondaime.

She had no hope for the future anymore; she was going to die in this maze and there was no denying that fact. She lost all her strength and her chakra was sealed from the thing on her neck. She could barely walk; what hope did she have? None, there was no chance she would be able to outran nor outsmart any other beasts and there was no chance in hell that she will be able to defend herself.

Her golden hair lost its radiance and her cerulean eyes lost the life they once held. Her clothes were ripped and bloody; her body was covered with dirt, lacerations and bruises that sent pain run through her with every movement she made. She, however, didn't care anymore. She didn't scream, lacking the energy to even open her mouth.

If she wasn't meant to die today, then she wouldn't. There was no changing fate. She was sick and tired. all her life, she did nothing else but fight against it… she should have listened. You cannot fight fate. If it was meant to happen, it would. If her life was meant to come to an end, then she wasn't going against it. She will let the gods have her and send her wherever they deemed fit.

She glanced up into the sky before closing her eyes. It looked like it was going to rain– no, it looked like it was going to storm. Naruto made no movements to get out of the rain when the downpour started. It was a matter of seconds before she was soaked. The liquid that ran down her already cold body and turned a slight pink as it mixed with her blood. Her hair was glued to her body by the rain and her body began to feel heavier. The addition of weight stopped her in her tracks. She glanced around before falling to the muddy ground. The mud wasted no time in jumping in on her.

Naruto has given up all hope and…never before have let herself fall. Never before had she given up control of her life to fate. Never before had she wished for a sweet end so she would never have to deal with her life again. Her life was worthless in her eyes at that point.

* * *

Jiraiya felt his whole life's work come crashing down and he was unable to explain it to his teammates. His old students, Tatsuya and Akemi, were alive, first of all. He thought they were dead. Second, they were Minato's teammates and yet they had kidnapped his daughter. What were they doing– no, what were they thinking?

Akemi glared at the dumbstruck old man with so much hatred that it was a miracle that it didn't kill him right then and there. Tatsuya rested his hands beside hers. He made no motion to move.

Kakashi glanced over to the Sannin with much confusion. Did Jiraiya know these people or was he overly jumping for joy at the beauty of the female captor? Knowing Jiraiya it was probably the latter. The rest of the team thought the same thing. Akemi was beautiful there was no denying that; however, Jiraiya was acting out of line. How did he ever become a ninja? They would never know.

Sakura took a step towards the Sannin before asking, "Jiraiya, is everything is okay?" No one moved or even made a sound. They all wanted to hear the answer.

"I-" Jiraiya started

He didn't get too far before Tatsuya interrupted him. "My old Sensei is just surprise to see us."

"Yea, he thought we were killed in the Great War," Akemi answered with a mild look of disgust in her eyes.

"What do you mean by 'my old Sensei'?" Ino asked looking back from Jiraiya to Tatsuya. Neji, Sai, Kakashi, Sasuke, Kiba, Sakura, Hinata, and Shikamaru remained quiet but their heads followed the same motion as Ino.

Jiraiya bowed his head in shame. "Tatsuya, Akemi," he pointed to them, "and Minato were my first genin team."

"You mean Minato, the Yondaime Hokage, was teammates with them?" Sakura pointed up to them. "What?!"

"Watch where you point that finger, young lady!" Akemi snorted rather loudly.

Tatsuya lifted Akemi off of him before he stepped forward. He glanced to each of the Konoha ninjas so he could get a sense of their chakra. They were only a few of them he had to worry about. Well in truth, he had to worry about all of them. They were all strong and dangerous in different ways. The three females, the medical kunoichi, wouldn't be too much a challenge. "Alas, Jiraiya, we met again."

"Tatsuya, why are you doing this?" Jiraiya growled regaining his stance while he recovered from his shock.

"Simple, we hate Minato and since he is dead, we will hurt his 'beloved' daughter instead," he mocked. He knew everything about Naruto down to how she was treated by those villagers. The poor girl was treated like trash.

"Where is she," Sasuke growled while taking a step. Kakashi put up a hand to block him. "Let me at them!"

"No, we need to play this right," Kakashi ordered.

"Haha! It doesn't matter," Akemi laughed. "She's probably dead any ways!" She received glares from everyone including Tatsuya. She was annoying to him even, sometimes; if she knew, she didn't care. It was the way she was and no person was ever going to change her.

"What do you mean by that," Sasuke snapped. Kakashi had to physically hold him back or else he would have charged right at her.

"Akemi meant that she is dead. There is no probably. She has been in the maze for a couple of days now with no chakra. There is no way she could survive that," Tatsuya commented.

"Anyone can survive without chakra," Sai argued while he took a step forward. The look in his eyes were slightly different from the others. It was angry than that of Sasuke. It was stronger welled than anyone in the room. Sai wasn't going to give up without a fight.

"Not the maze we have," Akemi stepped forward. She placed her hands on Tatsuya's shoulders and rested her head on her hands. "There are thing in there you couldn't even dream of."

"Why are you doing this," Jiraiya growled drawing the attention back to him. Oh, he wished he had both of his arms again. He would make Tatsuya and Akemi pay for ever dreaming they could hurt their teammate's daughter.

"It was always Minato this and that," Akemi interjected before Tatsuya was able to open his mouth. He hissed quietly so she was the only one to hear him. She didn't speak again.

"Minato wasn't perfect as you may think, _Sensei_," Tatsuya stressed. "He cared only about himself."

"No, he cared deeply for Konoha!" Kakashi yelled which surprised everyone. "He gave up his life for the Village." His hold on Sasuke weakened but the teen didn't fight to get out. "If he only cared about himself, he wouldn't have done that."

"Haha," Tatsuya chuckled, "he did that so he wouldn't have to face what he has done, and no one would be stupid enough to ruin the good name of a dead Hokage."

"No!" Sakura hollered. "He saved the village!"

"And I can fly," Tatsuya waved. "Look at the life he gave to his only child. He shamed her," he hummed. "You can't deny that."

"He had no other choice!" Jiraiya hissed.

"Yea, he had no other choice to leave us, abandon us. He left us to die! I remember 'our' last mission. Minato came back to the village alone and said we were dead!" Tatsuya pushed Akemi away with no care if she fell. "Are we dead to you?"

"He was heartbroken!"

"No, he was happy. He didn't have to compete with us. If I was still in the village, I doubt he would ever be the Hokage!"

Jiraiya had to stop himself from running up and killing Tatsuya right that instant. "You would have never been Hokage. Minato was chosen for his abilities and character. He was the reason why Konoha survived the great ninja war!"

"Then tell me why he reported us dead?"

"I don't know, but he probably thought you were dead!"

"No, he trapped us in some kind of anti-chakra thing and left us there to die. It was a miracle we were able to get out!" Akemi hissed.

Tatsuya grabbed Akemi and turned away. "Don't touch anything," he demanded to the Jiraiya and the others.

"Where the hell are you going?" Jiraiya demanded to know.

"If you can find us, we will tell you." Akemi and Tatsuya disappeared without a trace. It was like they were never there.

"They disgraced the Yondaime and leave?" Shikamaru muttered while he thought ever so dangerously.

"They never liked Minato," Jiraiya revealed. "I was surprise they were able to even work together, but Minato would never try to kill them." Jiraiya started to recall his memories of Minato, Tatsuya, and Akemi when they were children. They were all innocent enough. Was he missing something?

"We don't have time for this," Neji studied the surrounding areas with those eyes of his. "I can't see anything in this place."

"I can't even," Hinata revealed.

"Shit!" Kakashi blustered. "We will never find them now!" His hold on the Uchiha didn't existent anymore.

"We will have to split up," Shikamaru pointed out, "if we want to save Naruto." They all nodded.

* * *

Every rain drop felt like a needle against her tan skin. The cold weather that surrounded her felt like ice that burned her body. The sun's rays that peaked through the clouds hurt her eyes as it fell behind the mountains; effectively making the temperature drop all the more.

Naruto was void of any emotions at the time. She has given up all of them in the hopes of never feeling them again. Emotions are the things that hold people back. If she didn't follow her emotions all the time, she wouldn't be in this situation. Haha, she wouldn't have been in half the life threatening events she had been through if it wasn't for her emotions.

She was like a stone thrown into a pond. She was sinking rather fast and there was no one there to keep her head above the water. The waves were too much for her to fight back on her own. So she stopped struggling. She was going to die so why prolong her life if she was going to suffer, why prolong the agony?

Naruto felt her soul die a little in a sense that she had never given up like this before. She never went down without a fight and now she was. What had changed? Did she lose the hope to and will to go on? Did she lose sight of the future that she always dreamt of? Was there nothing else to live for?

Her lids felt heavy to. They threatened to fall and to never open again. Her body was becoming too heavy to move. She was too weak and had no way to defend her dead-like body.

All thoughts in her little head of hers were negative, so negative that it was impossible to believe that she was ever an optimistic person.

She was like a lifeless statue staring off into space… Yes, she was still alive. Her chest rose up and down. Her eyes would blink every few minutes just to keep them from getting dry. She had no control over this function. If she did, she wouldn't care if her eyes were dry. She didn't care to move them at all.

* * *

The search party broke into different groups. Ino, Neji, and, Kiba went in one direction looking for Naruto. Kakashi, Sasuke, and Sakura went in the opposite direction in search of her. Hinata, Shikamaru, Sai, and Jiraiya went after Tatsuya and Akemi. The situation wasn't looking any good with each group thinking the worst case scenario: Naruto was dead. It was the ugliest feeling in the world, especially for the people who were after her heart. Each of their crystal hearts were beginning to die. Naruto made their life worth living. Without her innocence and light, the world seems like a dark scary place to live in. Hey, she was the reason why half of them got up in the morning.

Kakashi would glance back to Sasuke every once and awhile. The look in the Uchiha's eyes told him that he was truly dead inside. Kakashi shivered knowing he would probably end up like that too. He had lost everything already and it was about to happen again. He was about to end up in darkness again. It was unbearable to even think about it. He recently have truly came out of it and he was about to go back again. _NO, she is alive, damn it… what if she is not?…… can't think of that_.

Sakura kept up slow behind as too make sure no one was looking or staring at her. She felt better this way. She was a mess and she wasn't sure if it was visible or not. She hoped it wasn't; the belief that Naruto was dead did not help her. In fact, it made her sick to her stomach which wasn't a good thing since she was pregnant. Well, she shouldn't be on this mission to begin with but she didn't tell anyone besides Naruto. Lee knew, of course, but that didn't count. She needed a female friend well besides Ino who would flip out when she finds out.

Sasuke wanted to cry but he was an Uchiha and damn it, Uchiha didn't cry. They glare and smirk… well he was the last Uchiha. So if he wanted to, he could change the old ways. However, that involved children and a family, and there was only one person he ever wanted to have a family with. She was mostly likely dead considering she was gone for almost five days. He doubted that Tatsuya and Akemi kept her alive for that long. _Shut-up! She isn't dead!… she isn't… I would die if anything happened to the dobe._

The search of the back yard was draining, and it seems like the place was eating them alive. The green foliage seemed like it had a mind of its own. Every time they turned around, there seemed to be more of it. Despite the evil plants, it was beautiful even in the down pour. The flowers shined through the rain like lights and the nothing seemed to be weighted down from the rain. It was like magic.

"What is that?" Sakura pointed to the line of bushes and other plants.

"It looks like a maze." Kakashi studied it for a second. "Look there's the starting point," he pointed to the far left.

"Maze? Didn't Akemi say Naruto was trapped in a maze with no chakra?" Sakura asked hurrying to it without a reply.

"Wait!" Kakashi grabbed the stoic Uchiha and rushed to her before she did something stupid like going in alone.

The maze was about ten feet high and it blocked out most of the sunlight, though there wasn't really much rays of sunlight left at that time. The sun was about to set. The gates to the Maze only made the maze scarier. Demons framed the gate and words were scraped into the metal: "The Gates to Hell." Underneath those words was a crimson color and the iron smell filled the air.

"It is blood," Sakura announced. The smell was getting to her rather fast, but hey she was pregnant. She shouldn't be smelling things like that.

"Very good, Sakura. Is it red too?" Sasuke snapped. His sharingan were flaring like never before and his voice was filled with hatred and anger. He was never this angry before in his life; consequently, it seemed like he was always going to be this way until he got his light back.

"Shut-up," Sakura pushed back her sleeves.

"Enough!" Kakashi got between them. "I know we are all on edge, but we don't need you two fighting!" He pranced to the gate and pushed it open. After he reached for a kunia to cut his finger. "Summoning Jutsu!" In a poof of smoke, hound dogs appeared ready to serve. He showed them something, that Sasuke and Sakura didn't see, something which belonged to Naruto. "Find her."

* * *

Hinata, Shikamaru, Sai, and Jiraiya found themselves in an abandoned hallway of the mansion. The colors were faded and cobwebs decorated the walls. It didn't really have a smell that is if you don't consider the old-person smell.

Jiraiya lead the group and Shikamaru followed close behind the one armed man. Hinata was in front of Sai and behind Shikamaru. There were only a few feet between each member of the team. They didn't want to get lost in this big palace, which was what it was. It was fit for a King that is if they changed the faded colors.

"Are you sure they went down this way?" Jiraiya glanced back to Hinata.

"I am sure. I still sense their chakra," Hinata nodded while she pointed ahead. "It is behind those doors." Two giant French doors appeared ten feet in front of them. They had a golden frame which to uncommon belief wasn't faded. In fact, the doors looked new like they were put there the day before.

"That is strange," Shikamaru scratched his chin. "Those doors don't match the rest of the hallway."

"I don't see any traps or anything wrong with those doors. I just sense Tatsuya and Akemi," Hinata revealed while glancing to Jiraiya who was emotionless at the time.

"Okay," Jiraiya called back. "Let's see what is behind those doors. Everyone be on your guard," he ordered with a tone they never heard before.

"Hai!" Sai, Hinata, and Shikamaru responded as they followed Jiraiya to the door. The Toad Sage stood aside and let Sai open the doors.

They were blinded by a bright light for a second. Once the light disappeared, a garden filled their eyes. The flowers were so unique, each a different color, each had a different shape and color. Even the foliage was a different shade of green. In the middle of the room were round gravel and a fountain with crystal clear water. The flowers formed a single ring around the base of the fountain. Windows covered the walls and the ceiling. The sight was breathtaking.

"I am surprise you four were able to find this room," Akemi smiled. She jumped down from some hidden ledge. "This is my private garden."

"I am not. It isn't that hard to find," Tatsuya appeared next to his wife. He had a purple rose in his hand. He played with it before placing it in Akemi's hair. "The golden doors are very noticeable."

"But it is in an abandoned hall," she protested. Her smile turned into a haunting glare. "Can we kill them now?"

"In due time," Tatsuya answered before taking a single step toward Jiraiya. "Here we are again, Sensei. What do you have to say?"

"You two are traitors and you will meet a traitor's death," Jiraiya hissed. "But first, I want to hear your story."

"Very well," Tatsuya nodded before taking a seat on a bench. "But then you die."

* * *

Neji, Ino, and Kiba found themselves in a very larger round room, a ball room, if you asked Ino. She knew these kinds of things. The boys didn't have a clue what a ballroom is even if it came up and bit them in the ass, which would be a very funny sight indeed.

The room was huge. It would still take them a few minutes to get to the other side even when it was empty. Just image how long it would take if the room was full of people. However, it was doubtful this room would ever be full of people. The ballroom was decorated in all reds and golds just like the rest of the mansion. It was truly a beautiful room when you look at it.

"This place is huge," Ino announced loudly causing her voice to echo throughout the room. Her mouth was wide open as if inviting the bugs in.

"Can you shut-up!" Kiba growled. Ino was too loud and annoying for her own good.

"Make me dog breath!"

"Dog breath! At least I am dating someone!"

"I know! What does Hinata see in you?"

Neji was getting a headache the size of Konoha and it was getting worse. _Who in the hell put those two idiots on my team?_ He had a hard time just handling Naruto on missions, but these two make Naruto look mute, which was a funny thing to think of.

Neji stepped forward and glanced around. "There is someone in here," he revealed. The two idiots shut-up immediately. "He has been here for some time."

"Where is he?" Kiba asked appearing next to Neji. Ino appeared at his other side.

"I don't know," Neji growled. "Something is messing with my Byakugan. I can sense something but I can't pin point where it is. If I were to believe my eyes, I would say he was everywhere."

"Then maybe it is more than one," Ino said looking around.

"No, I thought that at first; however, it is the same chakra everywhere. It has to be one person but I don't know how they are doing it," Neji pushed away from them.

"It has to start and end somewhere, right?" Kiba asked scratching his head.

"I can't find him," Neji snapped. When he snapped, you know the situation was turning from bad to worse.

"I don't want you to find me," a voice called out from somewhere.

The group quickly formed a triangle and got into battle formation. They didn't need to have blind-spots especially when the enemy could be anywhere. Judging by the amount of chakra in the room, the missing-ninja, for no one but a ninja could be this powerful, was extremely dangerous. "Show yourself!"

"Why should I?" the voice asked.

"Fight us on equal ground!" Kiba hollered. "Fight honorably!"

"Who do you take me for? I am not the person you want to see." the voice revealed. "I do not fight honorably like the person you came to find."

"Come out!" Ino yelled. "Tell us where she is?"

"I don't know. You have to ask Tatsuya or Akemi," he called back, "but I will reveal myself!" A cloaked man magically appeared in front of them.

Neji cursed under his breath. He didn't know how he could lose track of the guy. How did he get there without revealing himself? "Who are you?"

"Ryu," the ninja revealed. With a flick of his hand, the doors locked. "The only way you are getting out of here is by killing me."

They knew who Ryu was and they knew this battle won't to be easy to win. In fact, this battle would be one of the hardest ones they would ever fight. Ryu seemed to know how to work this Hall of mirrors.

* * *

A bloody corpse lay on the ground separated from its head, which lay a few feet away. The animal, an unknown species, was a mixture of a lion, eagle, and goat. It was an ugly sight. It truly was, and Sakura was sure she would have nightmares of. Sasuke was playing with his hands to make sure they weren't broken. Kakashi was kneeling by the creature. He quickly wrote down some notes about the thing in front of him.

"What the hell was that, Sensei?" Sakura asked backing up.

Kakashi let the Sensei part slide. "I don't know but whatever it was, I am sure there are more," he commented while he stood.

"What! We had a hard time with just that one!" Sakura exclaimed. She held her hands to her mouth in disbelief. How could there be more of those things out there? How could Naruto survive out here alone with no use of her chakra?

"I know," Kakashi admitted. He was just as worried about Naruto as Sakura was. He knew Naruto was a sitting duck without her chakra. _We have to find her now!_

Sasuke, who seemed to have lost all shades of emotions, looked off into the distance. He was trying to see if he could find Naruto with his sharingan but it wasn't working. It must have been the fact that Naruto's chakra was blocked. _Shit, dobe, where are you. I need you!_ He bit his lip. "Let's go, we don't have time for you to be scared, Sakura!" he blustered. "Stop being a baby! You are useless!"

Sakura turned away from the enraged Uchiha. "…I am not," she whispered but she couldn't whole heartedly disagree with him. She wasn't as powerful as Naruto even with her chakra-enhanced fists.

"Enough!" Kakashi rubbed his forehead. "We don't have time for this. If you two don't stop fighting, we won't find Naruto period! I am not a babysitter!" he hollered. They both shut-up and stared at Kakashi, who they both knew was right. They didn't need to act like children. If they did, Naruto would surely be lost to them.

In the distance, barking could be heard. Spirits rose with the sounds of the dogs call. It seemed like they found something.

"They found her scent," Kakashi announced. He took off in the direction of the sound. He was going to find her. He was going to find the girl he loved with all his heart. He didn't care if he could never have her. He was going to save her… no matter what it takes.

Sasuke and Sakura followed close behind. Each of their moods was still dead but they had found hope again. They prayed that they find her before it was too late.

* * *

Her body was still as a statue. Her eyes were closed. Her heart, waiting to give out, was ever slow. The rain, which stopped a few hours ago had soaked her and married her to the ground. Her hair was dirty with mud and branches; her clothes were covered with much grime that they didn't look orange anymore.

A creature roared in the distance. Its roar didn't stir Naruto who was like a log in the mud. Its troubled cry was louder as it came closer to the half sleeping girl. It was a matter of minutes before the beast had Naruto in its sights. It licked it lips catching her sweet scent. It eyed her. If it could eat her with its eyes, it would already have done so.

The creature moved it half deer, half wolf paw closer to the girl. Its mouth hanged open. Its brown tongue was a few feet above the ground. The liquid from its mouth melted the ground at a quick rate.

The thing was only a few feet from the fallen heroine. Her scent filled its noise and it drove the beast crazy. It never wanted a meal as badly as this one before. She smelled innocent and tasty unlike its many other meals.

Just before it was about to jump at its meal, a metal thing flew and it hit it on the leg causing it to jump back in pain. It roared at the sight of three humans, whose scent didn't even compete with the half dead girl in front of him.

"Get away from her!" the boy hollered. His anger was beyond anything the beast ever felt before. The girl and the old man followed suit and attacked the ugly creature. It didn't take long before the creature was dead. "Naruto!" the boy called out while he ran to Naruto. He reached out to touch her.

"Is she dead?" he heard Sakura asked Kakashi.

"I don't know," Kakashi admitted. His voice worried Sasuke who had never seen emotions in his Sensei before. "I don't know."

Sasuke's fingers danced on Naruto's cold skin. He felt himself shiver as he prayed she wasn't dead. His other hand reached for her wrist to check her pulse. He was able to breathe again. He was able to find a slow and steady pulse. It wasn't the best but it was better than nothing, right? "Sakura, she is alive. She needs some medical attention!"

"Coming!" she yelled while she rushed to Naruto's side.

"Dobe, please open your eyes," Sasuke whispered in her ears. "I need you. I love you, damn it."

Sakura froze. Did she just hear what she thought she heard? Did the stoic Uchiha just openly admitted he loved Naruto? She blinked. _I have to help Naruto._ She went back to her work of saving her friend and teammate.

"S…" Naruto's lips moved but no words were audible. She drifted back into a deep sleep. Kakashi, Sakura, and Sasuke gathered around the Kunoichi, hoping to hear another sound from her lips but nothing came.

* * *

thank you for reading please review.


	20. Forgiveness?

I do not own Naruto or any characters, but the ones i made up for this story....If i did own this anime, so much things would be different.

...Sorry, it took me so long to update....I lost interest in writing (not the story). School is eating my soul. It takes up so much more time then last sem. In addition to that, My boyfriend had got me addicted to WOW (World of WarCraft.)... I know... I weird..., but who isn't?.....

I would like to give a special thanks to **Iana Sabelle**, who proof this for me....

I hope you like this chapter... I suck at fight scenes so please be understanding on that point!

So enjoy! Plz review! I love reviews, but i wont be mad if you don't. (well if least one person has too, though.) I dont review too often myself.

But Plz do!

* * *

Chapter 20

Forgiveness

* * *

The mystifying and ridiculously huge ball room made fighting hard, as it not only makes chakra hard to read, it also made chakra attacks miss by inches if not feet. This annoyed Neji and Kiba as so many of their attacks missed. Ino, who watched from a distance tried to catch Ryu in her jutsu but her chakra couldn't be controlled whenever it leaves her body.

Ryu was facing the same disadvantages as the other, but unlike them, he trained in this room many times before. He knows how this room works; He knows what it does; He knows everything there is to know about this room.

The red head dodged every attack that was thrown at him without really trying. In fact, he wasn't trying to dodge at all. He even didn't real care about this fight. He really didn't care about Tatsuya and Akemi or what they wanted. What he wanted was to disappear and never be seen again. He wanted to retire in a sense, but that was never going to happen. Not after he was enslaved by them and not after what he did to that girl. If you really think about it, the girl was known to be very forgiving and hey he never did hurt her as bad as Yuki did.

"What is this?" Kiba growled as Ryu threw him aside. "I can't even touch him." It was like he was a toy and Ryu was playing with him.

"No one can, so calm down," Neji ordered while he glanced back to Ino silently telling her to keep far away from the battle. She nodded her head to tell him she understood.

Ryu cocked his head, trying decipher the silent message passed on by his enemies to each other. Quick lesson, communication isn't just verbal communication. It is also nonverbal. Now usually, the red hair was very good at reading nonverbal cues, but it was like he was blind. "Don't even try to escape. There is no hope once you are trapped in this room."

"What do you mean by trapped?" Ino asked as she glanced back to the area they came in.

"Do you see a door?" He glanced around. "I don't… You have to kill me to get out." He spoke with an almost bored expression followed by a smirk as if taunting them.

* * *

Jiraiya felt his blood turn cold when he heard Tatsuya and Akemi's story about what 'really' happened all those years ago. His fists curled up as those sick words filled his brain. There was no way in hell that Minato was that cold hearted. Minato would never torture anyone and leave them to die. That is like saying Naruto would destroy Konoha…. **Never** going to happen.

They both had a knack for taking the high road…well Naruto was more forgivable than her father; he would, without a doubt, forgive anyone. Hah! She would probably forgive these idiots in front of him. Jiraiya wouldn't let her though.

"Don't like what you hear?" Tatsuya asked, while he picked an orange lily. "Minato didn't have any values. He did what he wanted. He didn't let anything stop him and that includes us."

Shikamaru stepped to the left of Jiraiya and placed his hand on his shoulders telling him to calm down. "He's just trying to get under your skin," the lazy shinobi whispered.

Jiraiya glanced at him from the corner of his eye and he nodded his head. "Hm, it seems like you are very much mistaken," Jiraiya said with a straight face that Naruto always give to her enemies. "But I can fix that with this." He showed them his fist.

Tatsuya savored the wonderful scent of the flower before he started to pick it apart. "Or it will be me." He glanced toward Akemi and she glanced back. They looked like they had an idea.

"Get ready!" Shikamaru shouted back to Hinata and Sai. There was going to be a fight and it wasn't going to be pretty. That was for sure. If anything, this was going to be a messy fight.

* * *

The words, Gates of Hell glowed as they ran out of the maze. Sasuke held the girl tightly against his chest. He would protect her as if she was the most important thing in the world…well to him she _is_.

Kakashi lead the way while Sakura stayed by Sasuke to keep a medical eye on Naruto. It was a long silent and tense journey for the three ninjas as they made their way to the front of the mansion to the meeting place, where they were greeted with an empty space. It seems like everybody else was still inside the mansion.

"Kakashi, do you think they are okay?" Sakura asked while keeping her eyes on Naruto. She healed the blond enough so that she can make the trip back to Konoha, but not too much that Sakura would be the one drained and can't make it back… yea that wouldn't be good-- two unconscious bodies, that is.

"I don't know." He walked away from the team and stared at the mansion with a meaningful look in his eyes. "There is Tatsuya, Akemi, and don't forget, Ryu in that place."

"Ryu? Are you sure?" Sakura inquired, walking to her old Sensei's side.

"I am sure… Even if I didn't sense his left over chakra, I am sure he would be here," Kakashi answered, glancing back to Naruto. "Tatsuya is his master. I doubt he would be anywhere else."

"So do we stay here?"

"No."

"Then what?" Sakura asked, talking a step back to Naruto and Sasuke.

"We go in."

"What about Naruto?" she asked with a shocked tone.

"One of us will go out in the forest and stay with her. The other two will go into the mansion; one will look for Neji and his team, and the other will look for Jiraiya and his team." Kakashi would be going to find Jiraiya. That was for sure. Now, who would stay with Naruto was still up in the air. There was a valid reason for both of them to go or to stay, whichever you would want to focus on. Sasuke would be better if someone were to attack Naruto, but then again, he would be better in the Mansion. Sakura, on the other hand should stay with Naruto to make sure she was well enough to make it to the village….but if the others were hurt, she would save their lives. Plus, Sakura wasn't a weakling, not with those fists of hers.

Naruto would be okay for a few hours and Kakashi was sure he wouldn't need anymore time than that. Sakura would go after Neji and his team, who he was sure, was fighting Ryu. Besides, he was sure Sasuke wouldn't leave the blonde's side for anything. He would go after Jiraiya and his team. He relayed his plan to Sasuke and Sakura who nodded as if they were expecting it.

––

Sasuke was positioned in the forest a few yards from the mansion's gates. He had his back against a tree and he had Naruto resting safety in his arms-- his arms that formed a protective wall around the weakened blonde.

His heart would skip every time she would try to move in his arms as if it is a sign that would gain consciousness and hug him. She had started to look better after Sakura and he got that collar off of her; the color started to return to her face, not much so that it was still not back to her normal glowing tan complexion.

With his free hand, he gently touched her face. He frowned when he didn't see her hitae-ate. Sure, he knew she didn't have it on her, when they found her but it just didn't seem right without it, since she never took it off. To her, it was the symbol of her loyalty to the village. A loyalty, he never really had for the village which was funny if you think about it. The village treated her like shit, but she loved it. It treated him like a prince, and he didn't want anything to do with it.

His hand left her face and traveled down her body. He hated seeing her like this. Weak and defenseless. It made him angry. He wanted to hunt down the man who did this and kill them…He wouldn't, however, be the one to kill him… Come to think about it, it was probably best that he wasn't in there. You never know what he would do and could do when he was angry.

It was hard for him to see her so hurt, so destroyed like this. He loved watching her and now it killed seeing her.

Watching her sexy body would drive him crazy. (Keep in mind, it only has been a month since he came back to a village and find out he was really a she.) He wanted her in so many ways and it got him in trouble. Just look at what happen in the cave. When she yelled she hated him, it killed him. It sent arrows through his heart to hear that…it was his fault though and he knew.

He made a mistake and he had to pay dearly for it. He wasn't allowed to see her and she wouldn't see him. No one would tell him how she was doing. He was upset, but it was his fault. Sure, the village was not happy he was spending time with the demon, but they didn't know she was the daughter of the Yondaime.

He couldn't wait until they find out about it, when the council did, they went crazy. They were all fixated in setting them up, but then again, they only wanted her blood line not her. However, they did seem to be nicer to her when ever one pass her by. It was strange sight.

Sasuke sighed as he pulled her closer to keep her warm. She felt so far from him even though he had her in his arms. Naruto's soul felt different, which made him doubt that she would ever be the same. No one would if they went through the same thing she did. It was highly unlikely she would be the same dobe….but come to think of it, if she was a little bit quieter, he would be a very happy camper…

A quiet dobe?

Now that was funny.

She shifted her weight once again and his breath was caught in his throat. _She is moving more. Is that a positive sign?_ He wasn't any good at medical crap. It was never his forte and he had no interest in picking up any knowledge regarding that field.

Her fingers started to move, but it wasn't any big movement. It looked like she was just waking up. "Naruto," he whispered while watching her face like a hawk.

Her eyes flicked.

His heart skipped a beat.

* * *

Sakura made her way through the mansion which was worse than finding her way through that maze… well at least there wasn't any monsters…well there could be, she guessed but she would rather not think about that. She already had enough share of bad times that would last her for centuries; she doesn't need anymore.

She ran as fast as her feet could carry her making the faded wallpaper zoom by her and the lights flickered with every passing movement.

She blinked her eyes a couple of times when she came across a door at the end of the long hall way. When she arrived at the final door, she could sense more than one chakra which seemed vaguely familiar. She threw open the doors to reveal a huge ballroom, much to her surprise.

She gasped when she spotted her teammates. Ino, who looked semi-beat up was on her knees against a wall trying to catch her breath. Kiba and Neji were both attacking the enemy head on… To her surprise, the enemy was Dai, the guy her and Lee ran into in the village the other week. All three of them appeared to be in trouble, but it seemed like Dai was pleased with the fight. Did he have something under his sleeve?

Sakura made her way to Ino who slightly changed her position. The blonde held her arm tightly to her body and bit her lip. Her expression changed when she caught sight of Sakura running to her. "What are you doing here?" she whispered. "What about Naruto?" She was scared and it was mighty clear to her best friend.

"We found her," Sakura smiled. She started to look over Ino to see if she was in any dire need of medical assistance while giving her a quick briefing of what has happened.

"That is good." Ino looked down as she updated Sakura.

Sakura shifted her eyes on the newly renamed Ryu and bit her lips. This wouldn't be an easy fight to win, especially in a room like this.

* * *

Kakashi didn't second guess anything when things didn't appear faded anymore. To him, it meant he was on the right track. So when he came across a newly installed French door, he took it as a sign he was in the right spot. Why else would there be new doors in a hallway like this? Seriously, think about it.

He pushed the door open to reveal a colossal battle. Jiraiya and Sai were both taking on Tatsuya, while Hinata and Shikamaru dealt with Akemi. No one noticed Kakashi come in the garden. Everyone was too busy wrapped up in their fight to even notice him… which only showed how intense the battle really was.

When ever one side got ahead, the other side would do something to get the better hand. This battle was evenly match on both sides and there was no clear end in sight. If both sides could go on forever, Kakashi believed they would.

Sai blocked Tatsuya's attack while Jiraiya got a Rasengan going in his hand. Sai was thrown back, but bounced back when he collided with the wall. Tatsuya was ready when the raven came flying back and landed a kick in his back. As a result, Sai slammed into the ground. His battered body twitched as he tried to get up. Tatsuya never noticed Jiraiya charge at him with a fully charged Rasengan until it was right in his face which in turn cased Tatsuya to be thrown against the wall.

A smile never appeared on the old man's face. Instead, he frowned and he had a look in his eyes that Kakashi couldn't place. Was the Sannin sad for his own pupil? Was he upset at the path the man chose for himself? Was it anger for hurting his goddaughter? Was it exhaustion? Jiraiya was an old man, way past his retirement days. Heck, Kakashi was getting close to his own retirement.

Jiraiya didn't even turn back to face him. "Kakashi, what are you doing here?" His voice sounded dead. It was like he was expecting now that it was too late. That they were too late to save her.

"It looks like you need help and we have found Naruto. She is safe and sound now," he reported.

Just hearing those words—that wonderful news brought back all the life that seemed to drained from the Sannin, as if he got additional more years to live young. A small smile stimulated across his face, barely noticeable to anyone who wasn't looking for it. "Make sure Sai is okay and come here."

Kakashi kneeled down next to the young man and checked his vitals. "He is fine. He is still awake."

"Good, now we have to deal with Tatsuya," Jiraiya ordered. His voice was still dead, and it scared Kakashi whenever he was this serious. It was like when Naruto was quiet. When that happens, there was something deadly wrong.

Tatsuya's body twitched, signaling that he was still alive. Akemi, on the other hand, was fairing okay. Hinata and Shikamaru had a hard time hitting her, since she could heat any surface of her body at any time. That was, however, the only thing that was saving Akemi at that point. She couldn't compete with such highly trained Shinobi of Konoha. She only bested Naruto, because Naruto couldn't use her Chakra and would receive shocks at anytime Akemi pleased. Now was that fair?

Hinata had Akemi trapped in a corner of the circular room, which wasn't to hard to do. You could still corner someone in a circular room. It wasn't too hard when you were in a garden like this. Their best bet was Shikamaru family's jutsu which would have her under his control.

* * *

She was confused. How could she still feel her body? Why was she still warm? Where did all her pain go? Sure, she was still in pain, but it was a lot more bearable now. Earlier, she was ready to give up, so why was she still alive? She was sure she was alive. How else would she be feeling this?

She could feel someone's warm body around her. She felt someone's hand against her face. She could feel their hands move down her body which caused her to twitch. She prayed that it wasn't Ryu or some enemy's hands on her. Or else she would be dead.

She, however, doubted that. She recalled hearing the teme's voice…she could have been dreaming then. She hoped not…well he wasn't her favorite person right about now, but she would take him. She really didn't want to die…maybe, it wasn't her fate. Maybe, she was supposed to live. Was there something in life she was supposed to do?

Her cerulean eyes flicked. She didn't know if she wanted to wake up. What would be there when she opens her eyes? She had to see, right? She forced her eyes, and her breath was caught in her throat.

The teme was staring at her with a strange look in his eyes. She had never seen that look in his eyes. If she had to guess, he looked weird. "S…," she coughed. _I can't speak…It hurts just trying to speak._

"Naruto," Sasuke spoke; his voice was soft and sweet, so unlike him. "Everything will be alright." He brushed back the hair in her face. His face had an odd expression on it, well for him anyway.

She blinked. This wasn't the teme she was used to. She was waiting for him to call her dobe or something along those lines. She was ready for him to start insulting her….but it never came. He just looked her with a loving look in his yes, which confused her to no small extent.

"…" He opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out. He looked worried. He probably was afraid of what she would think about what he was going to say.

Naruto was barely able to keep herself from drifting back to sleep which would probably be a good thing if she did. She needed her rest….well she didn't want to go to sleep. Tsunade would probably sedate her anyway. _What is he trying to say?_

"…"

If she had the strength to glare at him, she would have. If she had the strength, she would hit him…well she really wished she could. He deserved so much worse that a sharp knife to his lower body would be nice… yes, that thought was so tempting and pleasant.

Sasuke shifted his body. Her eyes made him shake in his boots. He never felt his way before; it was insane to him. How could he be this weak over a girl? The dobe of all people? "I am stupid."

_I could have told you that._ She wished she could slap him.

"I let my anger get the best of me in the cave. I didn't mean what I said," he paused. He took in a deep breath. "I…am…sorry."

She gasped. Did she hear what she thought she heard? _…Am I hearing things? I must be…Sasuke would never say he is sorry._ She wiggled slightly at the touch of his semi-warm hand against her face.

"I… care about you."

Her heart almost stopped at those words. What was he saying?

"….I."

_I what? _She thought. If she was sitting, she would be on the edge of her seat. This was abnormal for him and it was kind of freaking her out. She wasn't sure if it was really scary or not.

"I…lo.."

She wished she had the strength to roll her eyes. Naruto's hand twitched. It seems little by little that her energy was coming back but it wasn't enough for any major body movement.

"Damn it," he cursed. "Why can't I just say it?" he asked himself. His internal-conflict was painfully written on his face. He looked like he was going through some sort of torture. "….ILOVEYOU," he said as quickly as he could.

Naruto, who barely understood what he said, was in shock,…but then again, he told her that last time before he broke her heart. It was nothing new. It was an old wound and he was opening it up again. Why was he doing this to her? What did she do to him? She wanted to scream. She wanted to yell at him to leave her alone! "…" Her throat was killing her. She couldn't get a word out.

"…In the cave, I said words that I shouldn't have. I don't like to wait for things…and with you, it was all that I did," he paused. "I just couldn't wait anymore." He was pouring his heart out to her. "I need you. I never needed anyone else…I was scared…still am, really," he revealed. He looked way, not wanting to know what she was thinking.

"…stop," her voice was hoarse. Her throat hurt just staying that.

"…Why?"

"No more lies," she whispered. Her voice threatened to give out on her.

"Nar-"

"NO MORE LIES," she screamed as long as she could, trying her best to be able to tell him the things that were eating her from the inside. "Why do you want to hurt me?" she asked, tears running down her cheeks.

He stared at her in disbelief. She didn't believe him. "Listen," he begged. Some kind of liquid run down his face. "I am an idiot. I messed up big time. Please, I will do anything to show you how much I love you. Just tell me what to do." His body started to shake.

Naruto started to breathe heavily and her heart stopped for a few seconds as his tear hit her face. It sent waves through her entire body like a boulder falling into a lake.

"Please, give me one last chance."

She started to shake. Her brain, the more logical side of her screamed to tell him hell no. Her heart, on the other hand, was screaming yes, which was confusing all in itself. "…yes." if he hurt her again, she doubt she would ever be able to get back up…..Though she doubt he would too. There would be a lot of people hunting for his head…haha.

He pulled her closer. "I won't let you down," his tears poured out even harder, but he wasn't alone. Her tears followed.

_I hope I didn't just make a big mistake,_ she prayed. She was still alive, so that had to mean something right. Maybe this wasn't a mistake. Maybe this was supposed to happen.

His face got within inches from her and he breathed against her face. It didn't take long before he captured her lips with his. It was a semi-long kiss due to the fact she had little to no energy.

He jumped slightly ending the kiss when he felt her hand in his hair. A smile was present on her face which in turn brought a smile to his. "I love you, dobe." The smile slightly disappeared when she heard the nickname. "We will take it slow."

"Yes," she whispered. Slow was good. Slow was her friend. Doing things fast always ended bad in her case.

* * *

The fight had changed suddenly as Ryu collided against the room due to Sakura's great plan. She wasn't Shikamaru but that didn't make her chop liver… Kiba and Ino weren't the best when it came to making up plans. Neji was way on a whole different level. He was way better than those two fools.

Ino and Sakura stayed out of the fight while Kiba and Neji attacked Ryu from two different sides. Even with Ryu's bonus, he was still human and all humans have to run out of stream at some point. It seemed that it was Ryu's time.

However, that meant the same law applied to the Konoha ninjas. It was only a matter of time for them too. This battle was coming to a quick end. It seemed like Kiba and Neji had the upper hand, but there was no clear end in sight. And things could …well things could change drastically especially when people least expect them to.

Ryu picked himself and faced his options he had in front of him. To be honest, he really didn't care if he lived or died. Sure, no one really wanted to die but it was an escape from his place, his life, and his many problems. On the other hand, he had dreams. He wanted to retire and spend his last years on the beach…which were only a few years from then. His life spend was ten times shorter than the average ninja…let face it; it was even ten times shorter than the average citizen.

It was a troubling fate, but that was the life cursed to his family. His blood trait was a powerful tool, but it murdered more of his family than anyone or anything else. Ryu was already used to that idea. He was ready for his death. He just wanted to rest before he died since he wouldn't rest to where he was going. Oh, he knew where he was going. It was his own fault really….but come to think of it, he would be better off in hell than with Tatsuya and Akemi, who he knew would die soon after him. Konoha wouldn't let those ass holes live. That was at least some good news. He would die happy knowing that.

The read head picked himself off the ground and prepared himself for his timely death…It was his time to depart this world and he's going to embrace it gracefully and with much dignity fit for a ninja.

* * *

Akemi was gone. She was killed shortly after Tatsuya was trapped by Shikamaru. Tatsuya didn't seem to take it too well; although no tears were present on his face. It was the look in his eyes that revealed what he was feeling. The look of brokenness stung the team with guilt. Sure, they were going to kill him, but watching a love one die was no easy thing. It was a fate worse than death. A few in the room knew how that felt personally that even they wouldn't wish that on their worse enemy.

Tatsuya's eyes, the only body movement in his control never left her body. It was like the world was blind to him…well it was, but that isn't what I mean. His soul was connected to hers…he would be joining her soon… As sickening as that sounded, he was glad he would see her again. Sure she was annoying. Sure she wasn't very smart. Sure most of her habit annoyed him to end…but he loved her.

Kakashi and Jiraiya moved closer to Tatsuya who was slowly dying on the inside. Sure, they felt sorry for him for losing Akemi, but that was all it was. He was going to face the consequences of his crimes. "So are you ready to die?" Jiraiya asked, while signaling something to Kakashi.

"You can't kill me. I am your student. I am the only one who knows the truth about Namikaze," Tatsuya spat. His killer intent started to increase rapidly.

"No, you only spread lies," Kakashi injected, who was fed up with the traitor's demented delusions. Tatsuya started to spout off more lies before his life was expired.

* * *

**The End!!!!!**

I hoped you like story!!

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Just kidding.... there will be at least one more chapter for this story...

I plan on doing season two, so not done just yet!

I hope you liked this chapter!

I hope you liked the SasukeXNaruto moment... and If you dont, well you will very happy in season two....hehe...


	21. farewell

I said the copyright every chapter so do I have to say it again? NO! You should know it by now with 21 chapters.

I hope you like this, sorry for it being short. There wasn't much I could think of putting in here without getting into another story. I am planning of doing a sequel, so keep an eye out for it. I will probably send a AN for in this story saying when I have it started it.

And sorry for the wait…

Here is a question for you people. Why would a ex lie to you when he has nothing to lose by telling you the truth? the answer they are stupid!!!!

Sorry but men sucks!!!!!!

Meant to get this out over a week ago, but the internet I was stealing wasn't working so I couldn't upload it. Haha.

I hope you review.

* * *

Chapter 21

* * *

The tournament had been finished for a week days now, and the winner asked for something stupid and small. He asked for free food for a year…you can guess who. Haha.

Everything calmed down after some time, well everyone calmed after a few days when Naruto was awake and everything was explained. That, however, didn't mean that everything was right and happy. For example, many people were upset, to say the less, that Naruto decided to give the Uchiha another chance. In addition to that, Naruto was unhappy with how the situation turned out. She may had found out who her father was, but many more questions were revealed. Why did Minato's teammates turn on him? Why did they attack her? What did they have against her father? Did her father really do something to them? …She wanted to learn more about her father, but there was only so much anyone could tell her about her father.

In the end, she was confused and unsure of the world around her, and until she cleared up all the questions she had, she would never be truly happy…Sure, she could be happy in some sense with her friends, but how could she be happy if she was unsure about where she came from? There were so many questions she wished she could ask her father.

The situation left her thinking, which brought her to her favorite spot, the Yondaime Hokage's stone head. Her eyes scanned the village with no idea what she was looking for. Maybe she was looking for herself. She knew more about her father, but there was so much more in the shadows. His old teammates brought so many questions to the surface and she wanted the answers. She needed answers.

It was a rather hot day and there was no clouds in the sky. The sun beat down on her, but she didn't seem to mind it. Her cerulean eyes were somewhat blinded from the sun, but by the way she looked at the village, it didn't seem like it did.

All of Naruto's physical scars and injuries were healed, but that was the extent of her healing. Besides the many questions in her head, she relived everything that happened to her in the last month. Not only did she have nightmares, but even her day dreams and thoughts were haunted. There were times that the mental scars left her, but they didn't stay gone for long. Then again, it would take a long time before she would be able to look pass it. There were some people who could take her mind off her problems for sometime.

Naruto hugged her knees, reliving everything. She was so involved in her memories that she didn't notice a shadow come upon her. She, however, didn't jump when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She glanced up. "Hey," she smiled.

Sasuke sat down next to her, wrapping one arm around her. He place a kiss on her forehead and pulled her into his arms. "Hey," he responded. His arms surrounded her.

She looked into his eyes for a few seconds before looking back to the village. She let out a sigh. "I can't get it out of my head," she whispered.

He hugged her tighter, while he pulled her into his lap. He didn't have answers. He didn't know what to say to her. What could he say to make it all better for her? _Everything will be better in time? No!_ He couldn't think of anything that didn't sound like something out of a cereal box. He didn't want to sound cheesy. Uchiha's weren't cheesy.

She pulled away from him slightly. "But what is going on with you?"

"Nothing."

"Sounds like fun," Naruto stared. Sasuke was always up to nothing. He was the very meaning of boring sometimes. It drove her insane. He was okay with sitting and doing nothing, but she had to do something.

He did nothing but looked at her.

"Lets do something!" she grinned as she separated herself from the Uchiha.

"Hn," he moaned. He didn't want to find out what she had in mind. It wouldn't end to well. He was sure of that.

* * *

Tsunade stared at the papers on her desk, wanting so bad to throw her chair out the window and set the papers on fire…yea, she was one violence person. Some people would call her evil…her violence was close to that of being evil.

She took a big drink of sake, wishing she could go have some fun, but everyone had their eyes on her, watching her like a hawk. Everyone knew she would try to sneak off and they were all prepared to stop her if she did. She wasn't like Naruto, who could sneak away from anything.

_I wonder how she is doing,_ the Hokage thought remembering the state that Naruto was brought back in. She had so many injuries that they wondered if she would ever recover. It took them forever to get the collar off the girl and they couldn't use chakra until they got it off. They also weren't sure about her mental state, not knowing what she went through. To make matters worse, when Naruto found out who her captors were, she was silence for days. No one knew what Naruto was thinking during that time. No one knew what she thought most of the time, which was something that worried Tsunade.

She hoped Naruto was at least open with Sasuke, even if she wanted to murder the man. She would have, but Naruto wouldn't let her. She didn't understand why. She also didn't know why Naruto was spending so much time with that man. He wasn't nothing but trouble. Something was going to happen between those two and it wasn't going to be good. She felt it.

She glared at the paperwork on her desk. "What is with all these paperwork?" she growled. She wanted to throw them up into the air and make a paper angel. Haha. That would be fun…if she didn't count the cleaning up part.

"If there wasn't paperwork, the village would be in trouble. Paperwork is what makes the world go round," a female voice answered.

Tsunade didn't have to look up to know who the voice came from. It was the council member from before. "Yes, I know, but I don't see why I have to waste my time on who gets to farm where," she commented. Her day was getting worse.

"You don't want a fight to break out," the council woman stated. She had a weird look on her face.

"Can I help you?" she asked. She was rather annoyed and it was rather noticeable.

"What is with the tone, young lady?" she mocked. The look on her face told Tsunade everything; her eyes told the Hokage that the council had won and they got what they wanted.

"I ask again, can I help you?" the Hokage snarled. Her temper was getting the best of her. She knew that it wasn't best to be this open with her anger, but she wasn't good with controlling it.

"Well, I don't see the problem. The threat against Naruto Namikaze is gone," the council woman commented. "In addition, Naruto and Sasuke make a great couple," she giggled…yea weird.

"I guess," Tsunade muttered. _If you don't count the inside of the person. _She knew the Uchiha was easy on the eyes, but that was where it stopped. His personality was horrible. _I am going to hurt her if they keep calling her a Namikaze._

"However, I still see that the girl is going by her mother's name."

"Yea, she is. Is there a problem?" Tsunade glared.

"Not really," she lied. She headed to the door. "It would just be better if she did."

"Why would that be?" Tsunade felt her whole body shake. She wanted to jump across the table and ring the old hag's neck.

"She would be treated the way she should be and other things," she answered not wanting to explain herself too much.

"True, but she would be seen as only as the Yondaime Hokage's daughter and nothing else. They won't see her for who she is."

"And they see her now?" the lady eyed her.

Tsunade found herself growling lightly as she watched the Council woman turn to the door. "She wants to get there on her own."

"Some things are impossible to achieve on her own," the old lady revealed as she left the steaming Hokage alone in her office.

In the back of her mind, Tsunade couldn't help but agree. It had been years since Naruto have been Ninja, and she had done many things to help this village, but yet the village still treat her like an outcast.

She closed her eyes and rested her head on the desk.

"What happened now?"

Tsunade slowly looked up to get a look at the intruder. "The imbecilic council!" she snarled. Her nails were deep embedded into her skin.

"Calm down," Jiraiya ordered.

"Why can't they leave well enough alone!"

"Um…because they like to bug you and I know why," he joked, but it wasn't without payback. Tsunade throw an empty bottle of Sake at his head. He was covered in broke glass and lacerations. "Geez, watch it!"

"Well watch your mouth!" she hollered back, while slamming her fist against the desk. _No wonder he is a pervert…he can't get it anywhere else!_

"I am trying to make you laugh…" He sighed. _It is harder than it looks._ "They are just trying to get under your skin. Trying to get to you to show you who has the control."

"I know."

"Then don't fall for it. Just make them sweat like what they do to you."

"You speak like you have a plan," she eyed him.

"As a matter as fact I do. But it will take some time!" He smirked.

* * *

Naruto wanted to have some fun, but Sasuke turned everything down that she threw out at him. She was starting to get annoyed, which was present with the way she was standing. She narrowed her eyes at him as he lead her somewhere.

"Dobe, stop throwing a fit and follow me," he ordered. Sure, he loved her, but sometimes he felt like a was dating a child…

"Teme!" she hollered, throwing her fist up in the air.

"Well hurry up."

She picked up her speed a little bit, but she lost sight of Sasuke as he rounded a corner. _He can't even wait for me?_ She folded her arm across her chest. "Stupid, Uchiha," she kept repeating over and over again.

When she 'locked' onto his chakra and followed him around some corners, she blinked a few times, trying to take it all in. There were flowers everywhere. Naruto couldn't tell you what kind of flower though. The flowers lined all the surfaces, even the table in the middle of the inclosed garden. Music fulled the garden, but she couldn't find where it was coming from.

There was a single white candle on the center of the table. In addition to that, there were serving plates on the table. Everything was so widely over done, but however, it was breath taking.

She didn't jump when arms surrounded her waist. She knew who it was. "Is this for me?" she asked turning around and placing her arms around his neck.

"Every last bit of it," Sasuke grinned. Tears fell from the blonde. "What is wrong?" he asked wiping the tears from her face.

"Nothing. There isn't anything wrong," she smiled. "No one have ever did anything like this for me." No one had ever paid this much energy on her. It made her feel warm inside. She felt special. How many girls get this kind of treatment? Not too many, especially from the stoic Uchiha. "I am happy," she cheered, kissing him.

"I am glad," he responded, leading her to the table. He pulled her into another kiss before sitting her down at the table. "I want to make you happy every day of your life."

* * *

Eyes watched the two lovebirds in the private garden. It made her sick to her stomach. She loved both of them, but together they made her sick. In her eyes, they didn't belong together. Sasuke belonged to her and no one else. She would get him back no matter what.

She pushed her hair behind her hair taking a closer look. She wanted to interrupt them right now, but that wouldn't help her at all. She would need to make a plan to get the man of her dreams.

* * *

Kakashi stared at the Memorial stone. His eyes focused on one name, that brought so much to the table. The answers that he needed laid with his Sensei. All the answers that Naruto needed was with her father. He wished he could turn back time and show her what she needed to see. Yea, he wished. Haha, time travel was so out there. It wasn't possible. That would solve a lot of problems, but at the same time, it would bring upon many more problems. Time travel wasn't worth the price (even if it was possible). Maybe or maybe not. No one would know until after the fact.

He kneed down to become shorter than the stone. He placed his hand on the stone, whispering something under his breath.

* * *

I hope you liked it

And haha. I hope you like the it.

And there more unanswered questions to be answered in the next season!


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